Museums urged to become cooling centres as heatwaves intensify

The Palais de Tokyo in Paris offered refuge during last summer's heat dome, with midnight hours and diverse programming providing relief from temperatures exceeding 40°C for a fourth consecutive year. The museum, reopened in 2002 by architects Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal, was modeled after the New Museum in New York, which pioneered the 'anti-museum' concept in 1977. Following its recent $82m expansion, the Palais de Tokyo could inspire other institutions like LACMA and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art to adopt similar civic roles. The writer Joshua Niland argues that US museums, facing political pressures, funding disarray, and attendance declines, should extend hours and serve as cultural cooling centres, echoing Elizabeth P. Oliver's op-ed in The Washington Post. The New Museum's expansion co-designer Shohei Shigematsu questioned what a museum should be today, suggesting a path toward greater accessibility.