Villa Mediterranee is an unusual building. It is located by the water in the Old Port, next to the MuCEM. It is a fairly new and quite modern architectural construction. The building itself is really the main attraction. We did not go inside but were quite happy to admire it from the outside. It is a conference building and it holds exhibitions and a range of conferences. The reference to the Mediterranean in the name is probably a clue about what it is about and why it is located in that very spot, in the water.

Our cruise ship docked in the immediate vicinity of this modern complex and, at some point during our visit, we decided we would take a look-see (says it's free) but you do get what you pay for. In American slang, this was a big "nothing burger." It was our decision to waste our precious port-time in making a visit here. Oh, if I could turn back the hands of time ... This facility is a multi-floor complex of a cafe (top floor), some interactive screen sites (did not call to us) and not a whole lot more. We expected a museum or something or anything. If there were exhibits, we did not find them. We got nada. As we made our way to the top of the building, and entered the top deck with nice views, there were several museum/exhibit buildings outside the upper level but those all charged a fee although entry to the "Villa Mediterrannee" (look for Ai Weiwei Fan-Tan on the building side)... said it was free. Talk about mixed signals. As an American, maybe if I found a PieWie Chang eatery, this review could have gone in another direction (rather than the highway to hell upon which we descended). I still have no idea what the Ai Weiwei message was about. I don't get it. How can this whole thing go from bad to worse? Well, let me tell you, the unfortunate placement of this unfortunate building to the dock is ... well ... completely unfortunate. The completely 100% techno performance for umpteen hours (as in NO musical instruments and NO human voices singing) is a spooky peek into the future. How can anyone stand nearly immobile in place for 6-7 hours, watching a screen with the same bright lights blasting the patrons with nothing more to offer? For Friday and Saturday nights, we were hostages to a full-blown assault on our ears and all our other muscle fibers. This may constitute one of the newer levels of Dante's inferno. If so, I have paid my dues and I should get a pass. The museum or (what-ever-this-is-supposed-to-be) was a hugely disappointing experience. The interesting architecture is the only factor that dragged this review back from TA rating of one circle (as in "terrible") to the rating of two circles (as in "poor".) Don't waste time and energy on this package. All that glitters is not gold.