Georges Pompidou Centre

Love it or hate it, the Georges Pompidou Center attracts over 3 million visitors a year and ranks as one of the most visited buildings in Paris! After all, it's home to Europe's largest modern art collection! This atypical museum was one of Pompidou's first projects when he succeeded Charles de Gaulle as President of France in 1969. He wanted to give Paris a cultural melting pot, bringing together modern art, design, literature, the visual arts and contemporary music, all on the wasteland that was left by the demolition of run-down buildings in the Beaubourg neighbourhood. As usual, a major architectural competition was held, and some of the greatest architects of the day came forward with ideas. The winning design came from two young, unknown architects, Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers. They'll pour their hearts and souls into constructing this colorful, one-of-a-kind structure, drawing inspiration from oil platforms and comic strips. What's so special about their design is that the building is literally turned inside out, with its structural elements fully exposed. You'll see pipes, ducts, and elevators painted in bright colors: green for water, blue for air, yellow for electricity, and red for circulation and elevators. The huge white air ducts add to the building's distinctive look. Its outlandish architecture was not to everyone's liking, of course. Some dubbed it "Our Lady of the Pipes," "Le Pompidolium," or "The Culture Liner." No matter: Pompidou himself loved this bold stroke of modernity. Inaugurated in 1977, the building quickly achieved phenomenal success, drawing a record 85,000 visitors in just two days, even though it had been designed to accommodate around 5,000 people per day. Today, the Centre has been closed since September 2025 for a five-year renovation project aimed at modernizing its spaces, improving accessibility, and optimizing energy performance, with reopening scheduled for 2030. In the meantime, its collections and programming continue to be presented beyond its walls through the “Constellation” program, while the Centre Pompidou Francilien – Art Factory in Massy will open in autumn 2026 to host some of its activities. So it will take a bit of patience before visitors can once again wander through the Pompidou’s galleries—but thanks to this audio guide, you’ve been able to discover part of its history today.