Hovering over La Villette like a visiting spaceship, this mega venue seats 2,400 spectators and serves as the new home of the Orchestre de Paris. Yet another creation of über-architect Jean Nouvel (this time in partnership with Harold Marshall and with input from Yasuhisa Toyota), this silvery apparition and other performance spaces in the adjacent Cité de la Musique, as well as a nifty cafe and restaurant. In keeping with La Villette’s policy of making culture accessible to one and all, the season includes symphonic and choral concerts, as well as performances specially designed for young people, families, and audiences that don’t usually find themselves in concert halls. You'll also experience the offbeat and unexpected here, like a silent film accompanied by the music of Philip Glass, or a weekend of dance and music dedicated to African women.