5 top to check out the MECA in Bordeaux

Impossible to miss it when exiting Bordeaux's train station or while walking on the banks of the Garonne—built on the site of former slaughterhouses, at the end of the Halle Boca, converted into hotel and gourmet hotspot,, the MECA is a monumental architectural handiwork. 120 meters (394 feet) long and 37 meters (121 feet) high, it is an imposing building. But it is the geometry of its lines and the singularity of volumes that impress viewers above all. It is as if this futuristic arch of blond concrete was in perpetual motion, with vanishing points that multiply perspectives. After the daring Cité du Vin and the spectacular MMM—the Musée Mer Marine—Bordeaux is not done surprising you!

The MECA is also an architectural feat because, having been conceived as a loop, it can be crossed through a path carved in the concrete. A set of gently sloping ramps, accessible day and night, favors spontaneaous exploring. Forming the base of the building, rows of seats invite visitors to take a break or meet with art, a time for an open-air show. And from the grand forecourt of the MECA, the banks of the Garonne lend themselves to beautiful urban strolls in Bordeaux.

New cultural center of Bordeaux, the MECA was imagined as a hive. Artists, authors, producers, directors, editors, visual artists, choreographers—they all meet in this common house where the public is welcome to attend rehearsals, previews, performances, screenings or conferences. These special meetings are held in the Agora, a vast auditorium with a funny mirror-periscope that connects the inside and the outside. Curious visitors also have access all year long (and for a symbolic euro) to the contemporary art collection as well as temporary exhibitions.

Head up to the rooftop to contemplate Bordeaux from an urban gazebo—the beautiful surprise of the MECA. An exceptional sight unfolds from the large 850-m² (1,317,503-sq. ft.) terrace on the 5th floor, which borders the exhibition spaces. You can hang around in a deckchair or gaze at your leisure at the historic center of Bordeaux and its Port de la Lune, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

With a huge table in the shape of a red cross that can accommodate up to 56 guests, the café-restaurant of the MECA is in unison with the walls that shelter it: open and surprising, welcoming and creative. CREM is its name, open six days a week, starting at breakfast, also offering culinary proposals related with the artistic program. Its market cuisine favors short, organic circuits. Halfway between a table d'hôte and a gourmet bistro, the CREM will astonish both your eyes and your tastebuds.