MuCEM, a 40,000 square-metre museum, is to be placed at Fort-Saint-Jean on the shores of the French city of Marseille. The project aims to bring all Mediterranean cultures and arts under one roof by Spring 2013.

According to the project statement, "MuCEM is the museum of the 21st century, focusing principally on the cultures of the Mediterranean, froming a comparative and multidisciplinary perspective in which Europe and the other continents bordering the Mediterranean will play a major role."

"MuCEM is currently being built on on the former J4 port pier by architect  Rudy Ricciotti and developed in partnership with the State, the city of Marseille, the General Council of Bouches-du-Rhône and the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur Region.MuCEM will  enjoy the exhibitions, others can take in a lecture, concert, discussion, film screening… or simply enjoy an outdoors stroll in the Mediterranean gardens of Fort Saint-Jean."

The MuCEM is to hold nearly one million works and objects and will be divided into three storeys.

The first storey features a large exhibition of major developements that took place throughout the history of Mediterranean civilisations.

On its second floor, MuCEM will showcase two exhibtions devoted to the societies, cities, places and people composing the Mediterranean annually.

Finally its vaulted rooms will be housed within the stone recesses of Fort Saint-Jean, a historic monument that dates back to the12th century. Those vaulted rooms with in the open space surrounding them will offer exhibition galleries on the themes of celebrations and performances.

According to MuCEM's official statement, "The third incarnation of a major museum devoted to society, the MuCEM’s origins date back to 1884, with the opening of a “room” on France at the Musée d’Ethnographie du Trocadéro. After more than half a century, from 1937, as the Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires in Paris, the MuCEM now offers a view of the Mediterranean, its history, societies and heritage."