The French minister for culture and communication has made known the names of the architects who have gone through to the second phase of the competition for the building of the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisation, which is to be constructed within the Fort of Saint Jean and the J4 building at the port "la Joliette", in the centre of Marseilles.

Eight design teams have been selected by a jury lead by Francine Mariani-Ducray, head of museums in France, who will have three months in which to develop a design to cover the 16 000 square metres which make up the area: Tod Williams, Billie Tsien, T. Culbert (USA); Zaha Hadid (UK); Rem Koolhaas, Julien Montfort (Netherlands, France); Steven Holl, André Jollivet (USA, France); Pierre Louis Faloci (France); Andrea Bruno, Sophie Jardin, Laurent Mathoulin (Italy, France); Patrick Berger, Jacques Anziutti (France); Rudy Riccioti, RCT Architectes (France).

The winner of the competition will be announced in early 2003 whilst the opening of the new museum is expected to take place in 2008.