Popular Paris attraction closes 5 years for redesign

Popular Paris attraction closes 5 years for redesign

When the Center Pompidou opened in 1977, it caused excitement in the Paris society. The huge cultural center with its industrial exterior and colorful, exposed, exposed pipes stood out like a painful finger in the historic Marais district of the French capital.

a visionary plan

The reverse construction of the facility could not be further removed from the surrounding buildings, which were built as part of the renovation of Paris in the 19th century under Georges-Eugène Haussmann with their characteristic high windows and forge-iron balcony. However, that was exactly the intention. When the former French President Georges Pompidou sparked his vision for the cultural center named after him, he was inspired by the striking architecture of modern museums such as the Guggenheim in New York.

preparation for the future

"" I would like Paris to have a cultural center, as they tried to make it in the United States with unequal success, which is both a museum and a creative center, "he said in an interview with the Le Monde newspaper in 1972. The plan was to combine different art forms in a striking structure that remains" modern and constantly changing. "

Now that the Pompidou celebrates its 50th anniversary, it is preparing for a five-year closure to initiate the next phase of this evolution. This initiative, which is supported by the Ministry of Culture in France, aims to make the building, which is known locally as a Beaubourg.

technical challenges and redesigns

The closure takes place at a time when the Parisian art world is already in a difficult situation. Only last month, President Emmanuel Macron terminated a far-reaching overtake Louvre to the degradation of the Historical Museum, which threatens its content - including the "Mona Lisa".

Although the pompidou does not come up with a da Vinci, the art there impresses with a constant collection of 140,000 works, which includes sizes such as Picasso, Matisse and Chagall. Every year, around 3.2 million people visit the various exhibitions, films and performances as well as the National Library, the Bibliothèque Publique d’Inellig

Large parts of the pompidou are accessible free of charge, including the BPI and what many consider the best view in Paris - accessible via the journeys known as the "caterpillar" on the facade.

When the center was opened in 1977, it was the highlight of modernity, but now faces several “technical challenges”, as the management describes it. The biggest problem is asbestos, a toxic material that used to be used for fire protection and is available in the entire building.

A call to change

In addition, the pompidou has an enormous CO2 footprint. On its 10 extensive levels, the center requires great amounts of energy to heat it in winter and cool it in summer. The safety precautions also have to be upgraded, since terrorism continues to be a constant threat. The entire technical renovation project is estimated at 260 million euros ($ 282 million) from public funds.

After it became clear that the Pompidou had to close by 2030 to make these necessary improvements, his President, Laurent Le Bon, recognized an "unprecedented opportunity to reinvent the institution" with a comprehensive cultural renovation that would "preserve its DNA".

public reactions and challenges

The news of the closure was not consistently received in France. Last year, several leading personalities of the French art scene wrote an open letter to the government in which they asked them to reverse the decision. They described this as a "big mistake" and a "massive blow for the cultural life of our country."

They recognized that the asbestos had to be removed, but called for a gradual implementation of the work, while ensuring that the center remains ready for operation - especially since it is a public institution.

In recent years, numerous well-financed private museums have been created in Paris, including the Louis Vuitton Foundation and the Bourse de Commerce, which houses the Pinault collection. However, the signatories of the letter "appreciate" such institutions emphasized that the pompidou fulfilled a "public service", and urged the government to "take the necessary measures to preserve this symbol of our culture and modernity".

a new approach for the pompidou

Despite the concerns mentioned, however, the closure is progressing. The cultural center was entrusted with the architectural firm Moreau Kusunoki, which received the order after a hard competition. Their plans, which are expected to cost 186 million euros ($ 192 million), are financed by the center itself and sponsors.

There will be comprehensive changes in the interior and outdoor area, including the extensive space. The museum, the BPI, the galleries, the cinemas, the performance areas and the sales areas should all benefit from this redesign.

a place of encounter and creativity

Management describes the “year of metamorphosis” in 2025, since the center is gradually closed. Films and performances were discontinued at the end of December, the BPI will be closely closed on March 2 - followed by the museum.

Although tourists have to do without the spectacular view from the roof by 2030, the pompidou emphasizes that it is not a farewell, but a "goodbye" - with the focus on "meet again". The BPI and the Kandinsky Library of the Pompidou, which contains over 18,000 printing works of important artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, are moved to the Lumière building in the 12th arrondissement of the capital for five years, while films and performances at other Paris venues, including the Grand Palais, will take place.

parts of the constant collection of the museum are exhibited all over France and the rest of the world-including the satellite institutions of the Pompidou in Málaga and Shanghai-as part of the "Constellations" program.

sustainability and social interaction

The couple Nicolas Moreau and Hiroko Kusunoki, co-directorate of the architecture firm, told CNN that they felt "honored" to make the "very important" upgrade of the event location. The conversion will include a panoramic roof terrace, and the overall design will be aimed at making the "interface" harmonious between the interior and outdoor space. Her draft, which comprises a comprehensive recycling of material waste from the old building, will also create a "center of the new generation": a free room that is supposed to stimulate children between the ages of zero to 15 years.

The plans for the "occupation" of the large underground parking lot of the center reflect our changing everyday life, says Moreau. "It was designed for buses, so he has high ceilings and dimensions that can offer space and galleries," he explains. "In Paris, however, there is a large movement against cars in the city center, as in all European cities."

an innovative cultural center of the future

A central aspect of the renovation is what Moreau describes as a "transverse". This means that the different areas are less clearly defined and will pass. "We wanted a cultural hub that combines different areas such as books, cinema, performing art, sculpture and painting," he says.

Moreau Kusunoki will work with the design studio Frida Escobedo based in Mexico City to implement the conversion of the BPI. This could mean "integrating works of art into the library" or organizing exhibitions in the galleries associated with the books. "This should not only happen between the library and the art collection, but also in the sales area, the children's scope and the basement," explains Moreau.

The couple plans to preserve the “core concept” of the Pompidou as a “art factory”, as was designed by the original architects Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano, the latter being consulted for the conversion.

a social retreat for the future

piano commented on the plans in a press release: "The project completely corresponds to the architecture of the building, but also leaves room for future renovations and preserves its integrity." Kusunoki added: "It is always in motion, produced, is creative. This spirit is the core concept and is preserved."

A central component of the original vision is challenged, as the couple notes. "In the 1970s, information was dreamed of," says Moreau. "The facade was designed with a huge screen and an enormous projector."

But times have changed, and the same applies to our expectations of a cultural center. "People dreamed of more cars, transport, machines etc. Information was the dream - the future. But today we are saturated," says Kusunoki.

"Over -information killed part of the imagination and maybe even the motivation to do physical things. The speed, size and volume may have been a dream, but today we are tired of it."

art in France has long been considered "in public interest", they explain, and that is in the heart of their vision. The Center Pompidou becomes a "social retreat", which is more geared towards "slowness and analog" than Piano and Rogers originally intended. It is said to inspire the younger generation, which has become somewhat "isolated" and "victim" of this development due to the digital development, says Kusunoki. "We want to create a place of physical social interaction where you meet and move." Moreau adds: "The pompidou will no longer be just an institution, but an expansion of the city."