The Soumaya Museum, named for the late wife of Mexico's richest man Carlos Slim, opened in 2011 in a futuristic building aglitter with 16,000 hexagonal aluminum plates. Designed by Slim's son-in-law Fernando Romero in consultation with Ove Arup and Frank Gehry, it has six floors connected by spiral ramp and elevators. The more than 66,000 works of art include early Meso-American, 15th to 20th century European, modern Mexican and the largest collection of Rodin sculptures outside of France. Also on view are the art and writings of "The Prophet" author Kahlil Gibran - like Señor Slim of Lebanese descent - and Slim's impressive coin collection, containing the first coin minted in the Americas. Free admission. Nearby is the new Imbursa Aquarium, also built by the tycoon and designed by Romero.

soumaya.com.mx