Pompidou Museum

The Centre Pompidou is honestly one of the most unique museums in Europe. When it opened in the 1970s, people thought it looked more like a factory than a cultural institution. But that was exactly the point. Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers wanted to flip architecture inside-out, so instead of hiding the mechanics, they exposed everything. The pipes, the structure, the escalators climbing up the façade, it’s all on display.

Each system has its own color: blue for air, green for water, yellow for electricity, and red for circulation. It’s basically a giant architectural diagram standing in the middle of Paris.

Inside, it’s not just galleries. There’s a huge library, a cinema, and performance spaces. The plaza out front has become just as iconic as the building itself, always full of skaters, performers, and people hanging out.

The museum is closed until 2030 for a large renovation by architect Frida Escobedo

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