Located near Les Halles and the fashionable Marais district, the Beaubourg area of the fourth arrondissement of Paris is home to the Centre Georges Pompidou, which houses Paris’ extraordinary museum of modern art, among other treasures.
The Beaubourg area sits at the edge of the medieval quarter, situated less than a kilometer from the Louvre and the Notre Dame. The Beaubourg neighborhood underwent a major revitalization in the ‘60s, when the city of Paris worked to generate cultural and commercial development of the area.
First the Forum les Halles was improved, to bring an influx of shopping and commercial interest. Later the Centre Pompidou was planned, to boost tourism and provide cultural inspiration for the area.
Named after President Georges Pompidou, who was president of France from 1969 to 1974, the Pompidou houses the most renowned center for modern art in Paris. Once you’ve selected the perfect place from our selection of apartments in Paris, you will find you have the time to visit the Centre and its astounding environs to your heart’s content. Riding up the escalator, one sees fabulous panoramas of Paris while the Place Beaubourg in front is a great place for people-watching. Because of its location, the Centre is often referred to locally as “Beaubourg,” as well.
The Centre Pompidou immediately became a point of discussion, and sometime contention, among the people of Paris. Once you’ve stayed awhile in one of our short or Paris long term rentals, you may feel yourself forming opinions of your own about your new adopted city. Although President Georges Pompidou liked modern architecture, others had very different ideas about what was appropriate for this medieval neighborhood, with its ancient churches and quaint streets. Today, as the Beaubourg area’s rejuvenation is complete, the Pompidou Center is accepted as an important tourist attraction and cultural landmark.
The Pompidou is equally famous for its “inside-out” design, with its electrical, venting and other systems exposed, leaving more room inside for exhibits. You may wish to select something equally modern, or more traditional from our many beautiful apartments rental paris. These systems are painted in bright colors, giving an otherworldly look to the building. In addition to the Musée National d'Art Moderne, the building also houses a vast public library, the Bibliothèque publique d'information, and IRCAM, a centre for music and acoustic research. More about each of these follows.
The Pompidou was opened on January 31, 1977. The Centre was designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, the British architect couple Richard Rogers and Sue Rogers, and the British structual engineer Edmund Happold and Irish structural engineer Peter Rice. Its design was not popular at first. However, under the guidance of Pontus Hultén, its first director, it quickly became a noted attraction in Paris.
The Musée National d'Art Moderne is the French national modern art museum located on the fourth and fifth floors of the Centre. It is affiliated organizationally with IRCAM, the Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique (Institute of Acoustic and Musical Research), located nearby.
The National Museum of Modern Art has more than 50,000 works of modern art, including painting, sculpture, drawing, and photography. 1,500 to 2,000 are on public display at any given time, including by artists such as Miró, Picasso, Kandinsky, Matisse, and many others. Some of the art movements represented are Fauvism, Cubism, Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism.
In addition to the museum, the first three floors of the Centre house a library and the Bibliothèque publique d'information. The Centre of Industrial Design can also be found here, which covers 20th century architecture and design.
The Place Georges Pompidou in front of the museum is noted for the presence of street performers, such as mimes and jugglers. The nearby Stravinsky Fountain (also called the Fontaine des automates), features works by Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint-Phalle. It has a surreal, highly imaginative, almost Dr. Seuss-like design. Feel free to stop here for lunch from your Paris apartment rental Beaubourg. The fountain and Place are great places to bring children, as well. When you get hungry, don’t forget the well-known Dame Tartine for one of their famous tartines (open-faced sandwiches) or croque monsieurs. For those who wish to dine, there is a restaurant in the top floor for fine dining and a magnificent view of the city. But of course, you will definitely want to come here for the art and cultural attractions to be found in this fascinating building.
If you still have some energy left after the Center, you can walk for a bite to eat in the fashionable Marais district, shop at Les Halles, Paris’ underground shopping center, or just wanted the street, soaking up the history of this enchanting area.
