Marrakech: Musée Yves Saint Laurent & Jardin Majorelle
Visiting Musée Yves Saint Laurent & Jardin Majorelle; Marrakech's must-see attractions.
Having visited the enchanting Jardin Majorelle back in 2017, I returned the following year upon the completion of the highly anticipated Musée Yves Saint Laurent located adjacent to the gardens. One of only two permanent museums in the world dedicated to the works of iconic fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and the collection of Pierre Bergé, the other is located at the historic headquarters of the Yves Saint Laurant fashion house in Paris. Covering a total area of 4,000 m2, award-winning French designer ‘Studio KO' completed the architecture and interior designs.
Quickly becoming an icon in itself, the structure takes on a very different look and style from that of the surrounding gardens, focusing on intricate brickwork, impressive textures and bold shapes constructed using terra cotta, concrete, and terrazzo. Upon entering the museum, guests discover a circular open-air courtyard with the fashion house's logo presented on a concrete wall that conceals the door to the main museum and interior spaces. The museum contains two permanent exhibitions, one hall featuring the work of Yves Saint Laurent and another dedicated to Jacques Majorelle. There are also assigned spaces to showcase temporary exhibitions which ensure every visit to the museum is unique.
Even for the less fashion-enthusiastic crowds, there is so much to make the visit worthwhile, from the impressive architecture to the fascinating history and story of Yves Saint Laurent himself. The museum provides a highly curated taste of a fashion icon and the connections back to the gardens and Marrakech.
Every visit to Jardin Majorelle is as exciting as the last. This hugely popular destination attracts vast amounts of visitors from across the globe with its impressive landscaped gardens created by the French Orientalist artist, Jacques Majorelle for almost forty years. The garden's biggest attraction is the Cubist villa designed by the French architect, Paul Sinoir in the 1930s, painted in a bold 'Majorelle Blue'. With the opening of Musée Yves Saint Laurent next door, the villa now houses the Islamic Art Museum of Marrakech.
While the gardens are generally busy all year-round, there is still a surprising amount of space to find a calming retreat to absorb the incredible beauty of the gardens, from the turtle pond and gazebo to the Yves Saint Laurent memorial and garden corners with vibrantly painted flower pots.