Centre Georges Pompidou "Beaubourg"
Beside the Centre Georges Georges
Pompidou,
let's visit Residence
HUGO.
The
Centre National d'Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou is a giant,
futuristic arts center located in the Beaubourg {boh-boor'} district of
Paris. President Pompidou conceived (1969) the idea for Beaubourg, as
the center is also known, to bring art and culture to the "man in the
street". It was completed in 1978
by the architects Renzo Piano
of Italy and Richard Rogers of England,
and
by the engineering firm of Ove Arup and Partners of England. The
structure forms a huge transparent box whose exposed frame of tubular
steel columns carries trusses spanning the width of the building.
External mechanical systems -- elevators painted red; escalators in
clear plastic tunnels; and giant tubes
for air (painted blue), water (green), and electricity (yellow) -- all
are
conspicuously placed outside the main columns.
Considerable controversy arose over
the assertive industrial style of
the Pompidou Center, whose bold "exo-skeletal" architecture contrasts
violently with surrounding houses in the heart of an old section of
Paris near the Hôtel
de Ville. The Center has been hugely successful, however, with its many
art
exhibitions and the National Museum of Modern Art, attracting more than
160
million people since its inauguration. The wear and tear resulting from
some
26,000 daily visitors -- five times more than intended -- caused most
of
the facility to be shut down for renovations, to be re-opened at the
end
of 1999. Meanwhile, the library, Bibliothèque Publique
Information, is housed in temporary quarters for the interim. Part of
the building will be kept open for temporary exhibitions, and you can
still take the escalators to the top floor for a marvelous view of
Paris.
The Beaubourg Plaza in front of the
Centre remains a very animated
area: its jugglers, mimes and humorists from all over Europe
continuously attract a crowd. This Paris tradition, which survives from
the Middle Ages, can also be spotted in other areas like
Saint-Germain-des-Près and the Place de la Contrescarpe (near
the Panthéon). The Beaubourg area is especially lively at
night, offering visitors plenty of bars and restaurants.
Admission
For those who plan to visit many
monuments and museums during their
séjour à Paris, the Paris Tourist Office offers a
"Museums and Monuments Card",
valid for unlimited visits and priority access to 65 locations in - and
around
- Paris. It may be purchased at the Paris Tourist Office (127, avenue
des
Champs-Elysées), at its reception offices in Paris train
stations,
at the Eiffel Tower, in the major Métro stations, or at any of
the
65 attractions. Cards are available in denominations valid for either
one,
three, or five consecutive days.
Location: Place Georges Pompidou, 75004 Paris. Phone:
01-44-78-12-33.
Hours: Mon. & Wed.-Fri., noon-10pm; Sat.-Sun., 10am-10pm.
Métro: Rambuteau, Hôtel-de-Ville, or
Châtelet-Les-Halles.
