The Pompidou Centre closes its collection until 2030

BarcelonaWith the Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris, which opened in 1977, architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers made history when they were still quite young and unknown for their then radical vision of a museum as a container high-tech and flexible, where all spaces are susceptible to transformation. And, above all, because they turned conventions on their head and placed infrastructures that are usually hidden, such as pipes and escalators, on the façade and made them look good by painting them in bright colours.

However, almost fifty years later, the Georges Pompidou Centre has become one of the classics of contemporary architecture and one of the most visited buildings in Europe. But technical problems have also appeared that have forced the French government to rehabilitate the building with works that will last about five years, according to a project led by the Franco-Japanese studio Moreau Kusunoki Architectes in collaboration with the Mexican architect Frida Escobedo, who is in charge of the future expansion of the Whitney Museum. The calendars are moving forward, and this Monday the doors of two floors of the permanent collection closed. The museum is scheduled to close in September. Several temporary exhibitions remain open until June, including one by the artist Suzanne Valadon, and the museum is scheduled to reopen in 2030.

The technical part has a budget of 262 million euros, fully funded by the French government. The cultural part is 186 million euros, which the Pompidou Centre has agreed to finance. If the full budget is not obtained, the cultural component will be adapted through a design based on "independent functional blocks", as reported by the museum. The project also includes the renovation of Brancusi's Studio, which is part of the Pompidou, and various interventions on the museum's square to make it more integrated into the urban environment.

Even if the Centre Georges Pompidou closes, the public will still have access to its collections during the works: in autumn 2026, the Pompidou Francilien Centre will open its doors in Massy, a facility that houses the reserves of the Pompidou and the Picasso Museum in Paris and will have its own artistic programme.

A project that is sensitive to the existing building

The idea of rehabilitating the Pompidou dates back to 2020, and Moreau Kusunoki Architectes, known for the Guggenheim Museum in Helsinki, Frida Escobedo and AIA Life Designers were awarded the project after winning an international competition whose jury included Renzo Piano. The main challenge of the Pompidou rehabilitation will be to update it without betraying its essence. In spatial terms, the aim is to improve accessibility and make some spaces more communal. In terms of conservation, rusty metal elements will be treated, the facades will be renovated and asbestos elements will be removed.

According to Moreau Kusunoki Architectes, the renovation will focus on "rediscovering the porosity of the interior spaces, re-establishing the visual and physical connections between the different programs" as well as "rationalizing and simplifying the spatial organization." The architects will therefore define “fluid paths to facilitate orientation” by subtly changing the existing ones, so that the experience is “more relaxed and adapted to contemporary conditions”. The project also includes “activating spaces by revealing new potentials and creating a design that allows for flexibility of use”, in order to “reinforce the character of the building as a creative platform”. Finally, the architects will distinguish their interventions from the historic building by using a more neutral colour palette.

“From its inception, the Centre Pompidou has sought to be an experimental space and has constantly reinvented itself to remain relevant and inspire new ideas. We saw this renovation project as an opportunity to improve all these aspects and, through a respectful and adaptable repair, create a museum that reinforces openness and continuity. “Our proposal is based on a dialogue with the existing fabric,” the architects add. “By multiplying the physical and visual porosities and restoring the clarity of the different user paths, the design encourages the reactivation and revalorisation of spaces.