Luggage storage near Centre Pompidou

Located at the Plateau Beaubourg near Les Halles and le Marais in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. Centre Pompidou was completed in 1977 after construction started in 1971. The idea of forming a center for different forms of culture, art, and literature was floated for many years. Still, it was under the presidency of Georges Pompidou, who was president between 1969 and 1974, that the project was begun. There were 681 applicants for the job of designing the center, with the famous and well-respected architects Oscar Niemeyer, Jean Prouvé and Philip Johnson making the final decision to award the rights of designing the building to Renzo Piano (who also designed The Shard in London), Richard Rogers (who also designed the Millennium Dome in London) and Gianfranco Franchini.

The design of the Centre Pompidou that these architects came up with is undoubtedly unique. It is the first major, notable example of an “inside out” building, where all the pipes, structural foundations, mechanical systems, and most of the stairs are visible from the outside of the building, with the different colors of different elements referring to the role that they played in the structure - green pipes for plumbing, yellow for electrical cables et cetera. At first, this rather wacky-looking building was very controversial; it certainly looks at odds with Hausmann's more traditional iconic Parisian architecture. The famous French magazine Le Figaro commented on the center, "Paris has its own monster, just like the one in Loch Ness.” Now, however, the picture has changed; it is seen as a fun, colorful space, reflecting the vibrancy and vigor of the artistic spirit that pervades Paris, and so its distinct look from the rest of the city is now a point of strength.

Inside the Pompidou is housed the Musée National d'Art Moderne, the IRCAM (a research center dedicated to sound and music design and research), and an enormous public information library. The art museum is enormous and is the 10th most visited gallery in the world, with 1.5 million visitors in 2021. A fabulous collection of contemporary and modern art is found inside, with works by artists like Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Frida Kahlo, and George Hockney, to name a few. It has been such a massive success that new pop-up and permanent Pompidou art galleries have been established worldwide in cities such as Malaga, Hong Kong, and Mexico City. Often, there are contemporary dance performances or interactive exhibitions also on show. There is also a cinema, public lectures, and workshops to enjoy, as well as a gift shop and a restaurant to pass the time in. Outside, the large public square of the Centre is lined with cafés, restaurants, market stalls, and frequent performances of art and dance, and it is a lively, youthful, and fun area of the city to enjoy and take in the atmosphere. You better get there quickly, though - due to necessary renovation and refurbishment work, the Centre will close this year for around four years!