The Centre Pompidou is, besides an important museum for modern art, one of Paris’ many famous landmarks. The one-of-a-kind building is in need of renovation after years of exposure to the elements. To make this process easier and cheaper, it will close for three years during the renovations.
The Pompidou was built between 1972 and 1977. It’s design had been chosen from 681 submissions in an international design contest. The winning design features a sort of ‘inside out’ concept: the building’s structural system is visible on the outside, along with brightly coloured pipes for air ducts, plumbing and escalators.
However, having all these important elements on the outside of the building leaves them vulnerable to decay. The museum was renovated for the first time in the late ’90s. Its current renovation started in 2019, and French culture minister Roselyne Bachelot decided that closing the museum during a part of the process would make it cheaper and less time consuming. The Pompidou will close in late 2023 and open in early 2027, according to Le Monde.
Source: The Guardian (English), Le Monde (French)
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