The Alpes-Maritimes Departmental Council called upon the renowned Japanese architect Kenzo Tange to design a building destined to be both a museum and a place for encounters and exchanges between Asian arts and Western culture. The museum plan sits upon an artificial lake inhabited by Asian birds and rests upon two fundamental geometrical forms in Asian culture: the square, symbolizing the earth and the circle, symbolizing the sky. Based on an emblematic choice of works evoking the spirit of Asian cultures, and combining the courtly arts with popular and tribal expressions, the museum's collections reconcile genres traditionally separated between historical, ethnographical, and decorative arts museums, while at the same time displaying an interest for certain contemporary creations. At the heart of these same collections, shows of the lively arts such as the Vendredis de l'Asie (Fridays of Asia), demonstrations offered by Gestes d'Asie (Asian Gestures), and the weekly tea ceremonies, enrich and enchant each visit and stroll through this serene place.