The Centre Georges Pompidou is situated in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. Found in the Beaubourg area, it is situated near rue Montorgueil, Marais and Les Halles, giving it a prominent position in the landscape of Paris. The style of the center is that of high-tech architecture. The location of the Centre George Pompidou within the Marais district of Paris allows for panoramic views of Paris and all its monuments from its upper levels.
Museums
Housed within the center is the bibliotheque publique, a huge and vast public information library. Nearby is the National modern art museum, the largest of its kind in Europe. Also situated at the Centre Georges Pompidou is the IRCAM, a centre for acoustic and musical research which is very popular with students and children alike. The center is known locally as the Beaubourg center, due to its location, and it was named after Georges Pompidou who was president of France between 1969 and 1974. The center was opened in 1977.
Art
The Centre George Pompidou was inaugurated in 1977 and is the third most visited site in France. The architecture found within is inventive, post modern and is the work of both Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano. Conserved within the center are more than 65,000 works of art, sculpture, paintings, photographs, graphic art, design and cinema works. It holds one of the most celebrated collections of modern and contemporary art in the world.
Also at the center you will find a devotion to artistic creation, namely at the IRCAM. Here visitors will find visual art as well as cinema creations and books. The center has permanent collections and many temporary exhibitions as well an area known as the “BPI” which is dedicated to young visitors.
Famous Collections
The perfect setting for modern and contemporary art, the center boasts unique and timelessly modern architecture. Works and collections from famous artists such as Matisse, Picasso, Chagall Léger, Dali, Miro and Klein can be found at the center as well as contemporary art from Boltanski, Opalka, Buren, Widmer, Garouste and many more.
Other Attractions
Each year there are some 25 temporary exhibitions at the center that one can visit. Additionally, visitors can see the public information library, concerts, talks and dancing. Tourists and locals can dine in style at the mezzanine level café and watch the stream of students in the library or the performers and their displays of street art along the large plaza. With something to suit all tastes, this center of huge proportions stands proud as one of the main attractions within Paris and indeed within the whole of France. Modern yet timeless, the center and all the attractions it has within will remain very popular.
