Daily except Tues
11am-9pm; ¬4.57,
includes entry to the
Atelier Brancusi but not
special exhibitions; Mº
Rambuteau & Mº Hôtel-de-Ville
.
When it opened in
1977, the Pompidou
Centre caused a
sensation on account of
its radical design. In
order to maximize indoor
gallery space,
architects Renzo Piano
and Richard Rogers had
placed all
infrastructure,
including utility pipes
and escalator tubes, on
the exterior, giving the
building its bizarre
inside-out look. The
Centre's closure in 1997
for extensive renovation
led sceptics to grumble
that the young
architects had been
overly ambitious, but
the structure has
weathered two years of
internal renovations
with aplomb. Newly
outfitted with slick
lighting, gleaming
polished concrete floors,
a stylish café and an
expensive rooftop
restaurant, the Centre
shines after its much
needed update. Sadly,
the escalator rides,
complete with fabulous
views of the city, are
no longer free; access
to them now requires
purchasing a ticket to
the Musée.
A good place from
which to admire
theexterior of the
Pompidou Centre is the
Café Beaubourg .
