The Carré d'Art was part of the rehabilitation of the Maison Carrée neighbourhood. A project submitted by the English architect Norman Foster was selected from among 12 other proposals, including those from Franck Gerhy, Jean Nouvel and César Pelli. The Carré d'Art opened its doors in May 1993.
The originality of this particular concept of a multimedia library was the inclusion of an art gallery.
The museum of contemporary art presents a collection of over 250 works from the 1960s to the present, articulated around three axes:
- French artists representing the big artistic movements and most remarkable figures
- the Mediterranean identity, comprising southern France, Spain and Italy
- the Anglo-Saxon and Germanic movements
Throughout the year, the Carré d'Art organises temporary exhibitions accompanied by educational and entertaining activities. The Carré d'Art is also a research centre specialising in modern art.