Paris has bid a temporary farewell to one of its most daring cultural landmarks. The Centre Pompidou, with its unmistakable façade of coloured pipes, escalators, and steel skeletons, closed its doors on September 22 for a five-year overhaul that promises to transform the iconic building inside and out. By the time it reopens in 2030, the museum hopes to offer visitors the same jolt of wonder that greeted its debut back in 1977.
Designed by architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, the Pompidou turned heads from the moment it opened. Instead of tucking away the nuts and bolts of the building, the architects boldly displayed them, creating a “building turned inside out.” Today, it houses France’s national museum of modern art, with masterpieces by the likes of Francis Bacon, Frida Kahlo, and Marcel Duchamp. But before scaffolding takes over, the galleries had already been stripped bare earlier this year. The final chance for visitors came with Wolfgang Tillmans’s retrospective, a blockbuster that drew more than 200,000 people before wrapping up on closing night. The museum stayed open until late into the evening with free entry, turning its farewell into a citywide event.
The renovation, costing an estimated €460 million, is as ambitious as the building itself. Led by the architectural firms AIA, Moreau-Kusunoki, and Frida Escobedo, the project is set to begin in early 2026. The first task is essential but invisible: asbestos removal and treatment of corrosion on the structure. From there, the changes move toward accessibility upgrades, fire safety measures, and energy optimisation, targeting a 40 per cent reduction in energy consumption. The interiors will be redesigned to rethink visitor flow, the Public Information Library will get a new layout, and a sweeping terrace on the seventh floor will offer fresh views of Paris.
This is not just a facelift but a complete rethink. The museum leadership speaks of reconnecting with the original utopian vision of Pompidou as a “living cultural machine,” a place where art, performance, film, and public life mingle freely. In keeping with the times, sustainability and inclusivity are now central to its mission.
While Beaubourg, the local nickname for the Pompidou’s neighbourhood, falls silent, the museum’s voice will travel far and wide. Its ambitious “Constellation” programme has already kicked off, with travelling exhibitions lighting up venues in Lille, Metz, and Monaco. Next year, a new Centre Pompidou outpost will open in Massy, a suburb south of Paris, combining art storage, conservation labs, and gallery spaces. Over the next five years, branches are also set to open in Brussels, Seoul, Paraná in Brazil, and Jersey City across the Atlantic, making the Pompidou more international than ever.
Back in Paris, the closure has sparked conversations about the upkeep of the city’s cultural treasures. Earlier this year, even the Louvre admitted to leaking roofs, overworked facilities, and daunting visitor queues. President Emmanuel Macron has pledged hundreds of millions of euros to renew these institutions. For the Pompidou, the French state is funding EUR 280 million for the renovation, with Saudi Arabia contributing EUR 50 million, and the rest is expected to be raised over the coming years.
As the scaffolding goes up and the lights dim at Beaubourg, Parisians are already looking ahead to 2030. If all goes to plan, when the Centre Pompidou reopens, it will once again shock, delight, and redefine what a museum can be—just as it did nearly half a century ago.
1. Why has the Centre Pompidou closed?
To undergo a significant renovation to restore, modernise, and reimagine the museum.
2. How long will the Centre Pompidou remain closed?
It closed in September 2025 and is set to reopen in 2030.
3. What changes are planned during the renovation?
Asbestos removal, structural repairs, accessibility upgrades, redesigned galleries, energy efficiency, and a new rooftop terrace.
4. Where can people see Pompidou’s art while it’s closed?
Through the “Constellation” programme and new branches in Massy, Brussels, Seoul, Brazil, and Jersey City.
5. What makes the Centre Pompidou special?
It's radical “inside-out” architecture and its collection of modern and contemporary masterpieces.
(With inputs from various sources)