Sad news for art lovers — the Pompidou Centre in Paris is closing in 2025. Why? Because the crumbling-but-iconic building needs major refurbishment.
Unfortunately, this refresh work is going to take a long time, and the art museum will be closed to visitors for five years. It means you won’t be able to experience it again until 2030.
There’s still some time to visit however. While there are already some visible changes that hint at the closure to come, it won’t fully shut to visitors until after the summer’s blockbuster art exhibition by Wolfgang Tillmans. (The exhibition’s last opening day is 22 September 2025).
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But, the permanent art collection and galleries — the Musée National d'Art Moderne — will close much earlier: on 10 March 2025.
The Centre Pompidou opened in 1977 and was designed by architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers. It’s been a landmark in the French capital ever since, as well as a go-to destination for tourists. So it will be sad to see the museum — home to Europe’s largest contemporary art collection — closed for so long. Even more so that it won’t be open to celebrate its 50th birthday in 2027.
Why is the Pompidou Centre closing?
Bosses say the full closure of the Pompidou gallery is necessary due to the need for full-scale urgent repair works on the iconic building.
The renovations being carried out relate to significant technical, safety, and environmental issues, linked to the age of the building. It will be the biggest renovation in its history, and the first upgrade of any kind since the 1990s.
A major aspect of the work will be the total removal of asbestos from the façade and replacement of all the large windows. There’ll also be substantial improvements to fire safety measures, and the hope is there’ll be a 40% reduction in the building’s energy consumption too.
Alongside these works will be a full overhaul of the space inside, to make the experience fit for millions of future visitors.
The Bibliothèque Publique d’Information — a huge and popular open-access public library — will be expanded, while the entrance spaces will be improved and decluttered. A new panoramic public viewing platform will be installed on the roof, and a new space created for young children and families.
The exhibition galleries will be fully upgraded, including with better environmental conditions to show their diverse art collection. There’ll be two new cinemas built in the basement, and the famous plaza outside will be totally redesigned too.
But for those worried that by 2030 the venue could look and feel rather different, we are assured it will retain the elements and assets that make it a much-loved space.
“There is a deep attachment to this iconic building designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers” Laurent Le Bon, President of the Centre Pompidou, said. “It is therefore essential to preserve its DNA.”
That means that the spirit of its creation in the 1970s — a less elitist and more accessible cultural space — will be at the heart of the changes. The architect in charge of the project, Nicolas Moreau, said “the idea is to increase access, openness to the city and transparency…there is a rethinking of the entrance, the sequence and the relationship to the city.”
None of this will come cheap though. The projected cost of the building upgrades alone is €262 million, which is entirely financed by the French government. The cost to improve the visitor experience inside is thought to be €186 million. But this latter funding has not been secured and there is scepticism they will be able to fundraise all of it.
But, the closure will go ahead no matter what, so now that we are in 2025, if you want to experience one of Europe’s most fascinating cultural spaces, you better get your skates on.
More from Europe's art museums:
Munch Museum Director Tone Hansen on their new award for artistic freedom
Britain's National Gallery Director Gabriele Finaldi knighted by the King