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Explore the Largest Modern Art Museum in Europe at Centre Georges Pompidou

Published by Marjorie McAtee, Writer

Country: France

The Experience

Anyone who’s walked through the Marais in Paris—that ritzy, Right Bank neighbourhood that stretches across the 3rd and 4th arrondissements—will have seen the Centre Georges Pompidou. The Centre Pompidou, known to Parisians as the Beauborg (because of its location on rue Beaubourg) is one of modern architecture's greatest achievements, and home to some of the world's best modern art. The doors of its Kandinsky Library are open to students, researchers, and the general public, and its cinema offers regular screenings of avant-garde films.

Centre Georges Pompidou looks the way it does for a reason: it's inside out! Architects Renzo Piano, Gianfranco Franchini, and Richard Rogers won this contract in a design competition in 1971. Construction was completed in 1977, and came with a whopping price tag of 993 million French francs. The structural elements of the building were originally colour-coded. When you visit the Centre Georges Pompidou, look for the green plumbing pipes, the yellow electrical conduits, the red safety and circulation elements (including the exterior escalator), and the blue climate control ducts.

The Musee National d'Art Moderne at Centre Georges Pompidou is the largest modern art museum in Europe. The fifth and sixth floors house major exhibitions from artists such as Miro and Penone. Level four showcases a contemporary collection devoted to female artists, and you can see the work of artists such as Sylvie Fleury, Angela Bulloch, Adrian Piper, and Susan Hiller.

The permanent collections continue on level five, and you can find some of the most important works of the first half of the 20th century: Cubism, Dadaism, Surrealism, Abstractionism, kinetic art, and even architectural design are represented. Currently, the Centre Pompidou's Musee National d'Art Moderne has over 66,000 works by over 5,700 artists, including Matisse, Picasso, and Le Corbusier. Outdoor exhibitions appear from time to time, and don't miss the nearby Stravinsky Fountain.

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Puzzle

When to Go to Centre Pompidou

The Centre Pompidou is open every day, except Tuesdays and May 1st. Opening hours are from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The closest metro station is Rambateau, on line eleven. The full price ticket, at 12 euros, gets you into the entire museum, including the exhibitions, the permanent collection, and the panoramic rooftop-viewing centre. If you just want to see the view from the roof, it costs three euros. Performances cost 14 euros, and cinema tickets cost 6 euros. Reduced price tickets are available to those under 26. Like other national museums in Paris, the Musee National d'Art Moderne is free to the public on the first Sunday of the month.

Odds n' Ends

If modern art isn't your thing, you might want to take in a film. The cinema at Centre Pompidou hosts film festivals and screenings of documentaries and films from around the world. The Centre also hosts concerts and theatrical performances. Failing that, you can get a stellar view of medieval Paris from the Centre Pomidou's panoramic rooftop viewing deck. If you just want to check your email, the Kandinsky Library is open to the public; so if you have your own laptop or other web-surfing device, you can get 90 minutes of free Wi-Fi there every day.

More Experiences Nearby

Go Gothic Visiting the Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris
Europe’s churches and cathedrals are celebrated for various reasons: breathtaking architecture, deep-seated history, and stunning stained glass windows. Religious convictions aside, Europe’s cathedrals house beautiful works of art and offer a chance for quiet reflection. Throughout my travels I’ve toured many impressive churches, but Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is a spire above the rest. The abundance of sights available in Paris can be daunting, especially if you are tight on time. If unsure where to begin, a shuttle boat called the Batobus which travels along the Seine River is a good start as it stops at eight of Paris’ ...1 miles away.

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Books and DVDs

Art Spaces: Centre Pompidou
This is Paris . . .
Lonely Planet French Phrasebook: and Audio CD

Elsewhere on the Web

Centre Pompidou

Media References

Piet Mondrian's First Retrospective Since 1969, at Centre Pompidou in Paris - HuffingtonPost.com (newspaper)
The Best Museums - NYTimes.com (newspaper)
Centre Pompidou - NYTimes.com (newspaper)

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