With an innovative building design that reflects the modern artworks inside, the Centre Pompidou is an eye-catching attraction. Opened in 1977, the centre's striking industrial facade has the inner workings of the building on the outside with colour-coded pipes in bright primary hues. Within the centre is the Musée National d'Art Moderne and Bibliothéque Publique d'Information and Georges, a chic restaurant.
The contemporary art collections are refreshed every two years from 60,000 artworks on display and in the museum's archives making the Centre Pompidou Europe's largest modern and contemporary art museum. The ground floor houses the Forum du Centre Pompidou with temporary exhibitions while the National Modern Art museum occupies level 4 and 5 boasting artworks drawn from over 5,700 artists across movements like Cubism and Surrealism plus Pop Art and newer works. On level 5 you'll find modern art dating from 1905 to 1960 from such artistic luminaries as Picasso, Matisse, Duchamp and Kandinsky. Contemporary art from the 1960s onwards is showcased in a chronological collection on level 4 and includes artworks from Andy Warhol and Pierre Soulages as well as new media, photography, architecture and cinema.
Most of level 1 and all of levels 2 and 3 are occupied by the free public reference library. The basement houses cinemas, a theatre, dance space and another exhibition space, while the rooftop is home to temporary exhibition galleries and Georges, a chic industrial restaurant with stunning panoramic views of Paris. Outside is the Atelier Brancusi, which is a petite museum replicating Brancusi's Montparnasse studios, and the Stravinsky Fountain which includes giant, gyrating red lips among 16 mechanical figures in primary hues.
In all, the Centre Pompidou is a artistic hub for all modern mediums of expression and a popular drawcard for locals and tourists alike. Due to the large number of visitors, it's recommended to purchase tickets online to avoid the queues. To access the museum, exhibitions and the rooftop panorama, a combined adult ticket is €13 with free entry for under-18s. The Centre Pompidou also has free admission on the first Sunday of every month. To visit, the closest metro station is Rambuteau and then it's only one minute's walk down Rue Beaubourg.
