The Centre Pompidou opened to the public in 1977.
More fully named the Centre national d’art et de culture Georges-Pompidou, the Paris complex was officially opened on January 31, 1977, by French president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing. It was commissioned during the presidency of Georges Pompidou, who wanted a major home for modern art, public information, and cultural activity.
Architects Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers, Su Rogers, and Gianfranco Franchini designed the building as a high-tech architectural statement. Its structure, escalators, ducts, and brightly colored service systems are pushed to the exterior, leaving large, flexible interior floors.
The Centre Pompidou houses the Musée National d’Art Moderne and the Bibliothèque publique d’information. Its exposed mechanical “skeleton” initially shocked many Parisians, but the building became an influential landmark. Do not confuse its opening year with the later 1997–2000 renovation, during which the centre temporarily closed and reopened in 2000.