Annotation. Every year, interest in the architecture of modern museum buildings is growing all over the world. Every country participating in the process of globalization strives to demonstrate its success in this area to the world. At the same time, the pace of construction of complexes where various cultural and artistic events are held is increasing. In the process of designing such museums and exhibition complexes, architects have to solve a variety of problems, ranging from the appearance of the building to the convenience of forming expositions. This article is devoted to the study of the problem of designing a new type of modern museum: a museum and exhibition complex. The principles of designing the complexes under consideration are considered, as well as examples of completed projects are given. Based on the results obtained, recommendations are given for further research in the field of designing museums and exhibition complexes.