Centre Pompidou To Shut For Five Years While It Undergoes Ambitious Expansion

Its à la mode façade betrays this, but the Centre Pompidou’s insides are worn from old age. As such, the most iconic museum for modern and contemporary art in Paris will be closed for half a decade to make way for a massive overhaul in 2025. At the same time, it will expand its facilities to continue captivating new audiences.

As ARTnews reports, the museum’s long-term closure has been anticipated for some time. However, the institution was originally slated to undergo only a three-year renovation.

Authorities are now planning for the Parisian landmark to gradually pause operations in the fall of 2024, before officially closing it in summer 2025. Under this new roadmap, the Centre Pompidou is expected to commence renovations in early 2026 and finally reopen in 2030 as part of an ambitious €262 million (US$286.4 million) revamp.

This means the institution will stay closed during its 50th anniversary in 2027, which was when it was initially intended to be ready by.

French officials have noted that the building has been due for revival due to the wear and tear it has endured since its completion in the 1970s.

Designed by Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano, the beloved “inside-out” structure is characterized by the permanently-exposed functional features on its exterior, with elements color-coded to tell visitors what they’re meant for. The green pipes reveal the building’s plumbing, with its electrical wires marked in yellow, its climate control ducts highlighted in blue, and its safety features like fire extinguishers splashed in red.

Authorities are kicking off an architectural competition on May 12 in search of the ideal redesign, and they will be shortlisting six projects to potentially power the expansion at the end of this year, before picking a winner next year. The Parisian government is funding the €262 million makeover, though an additional €160 million (US$175 million) is still being sought to finance cultural projects.

As part of the massive redesign, the Centre Pompidou will expand into 20,000 sqm (215,278 sq ft) of space currently taken up by defunct bus parks. This area, located under the gallery piazza, will house Cinemas 1 and  2, along with spaces for multidisciplinary exhibitions, per the Art Newspaper.

The first floor of the museum’s north side will see a “new generation center,” while a large restaurant will move into the south side. The Musée national d’art moderne will also be fully renovated.

Further, a 1,500 sqm (16,146 sq ft) terrace on the seventh story will greet the public for the first time, presenting some of the most stunning views of western Paris.

When the museum reopens, visitors can also expect a complete rehang of its artworks and new “phygital” experiences.

In the meantime, the Centre Pompidou will refocus its attention on installing new satellites in Brussels and Jersey City, which are primed to open in 2025 and 2026 respectively. It is also working to open museums in Seoul, South Korea; AlUla, Saudi Arabia; and Paraná, Brazil.

While renovation is underway, the Centre Pompidou will move some of its viewings to the national galleries of the Grand Palais and various sections of the Louvre.

[via ARTnews and The Art Newspaper, images via Dreamstime.com]