Beyeler Foundation

Renzo Piano's long, low building for the Beyeler Foundation (Fondation Beyeler on signs) draws its light from an elaborate glass roof and is set into the parkland of Riehen, on the edge of Basel. Its walls of red porphyry run out into the garden, and a pond outside one gallery echoes the Monet water lilies hanging within. The museum opened in 1997 to house the collection of Ernst and Hildy Beyeler, a Basel couple who dealt in modern art for decades.

The collection traces modern art from the Impressionists onwards, with works by Cézanne, Van Gogh, Monet, Matisse, Picasso and Giacometti, as well as later painters such as Rothko and Francis Bacon. Sculpture and objects from Africa and Oceania sit alongside the paintings, reflecting the Beyelers' own interests. The galleries are calm and generously spaced, and the views onto the park are part of the experience.

Alongside the collection, the foundation stages major temporary exhibitions. It draws more than 300,000 visitors a year and suits anyone interested in modern art and architecture.