The Centre Pompidou Museum in Paris is awaiting a major renovation

Paris – One of the largest modern art museums in the world, the Paris Centre Pompidou, will close to the public for more than three years. The museum will begin the renovation of its architecturally unconventional building in 2023, to be completed by the end of 2026. The estimated cost of the investment is 200 million euros (about 5.2 billion crowns), writes AFP.

"Two options were on the table; one involved restoring the center while keeping it open, and the other meant a complete closure. I chose the latter because it proved to be shorter and somewhat less expensive," explained Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot to Le Figaro.

The building, constructed in 1977, has never undergone such a renovation. Work will begin at the end of 2023 and will be completed by the end of 2026. The first visitors will thus be able to see the renovated Centre Pompidou at the beginning of 2027 during the celebrations of its 50th anniversary.

"It's not easy to announce the closure of a museum when it is already closed," said museum director Serge Lasvignes. The museum head, who oversees about a thousand employees, emphasized that "there will be no layoffs."

Discussions about repairing the museum, whose façade is adorned with a steel structure and colorful pipes, began in 2011. However, the plan was only approved by the Ministry of Culture this past Saturday. The museum is facing asbestos removal, renovations to meet safety and technical standards, and energy savings. Accessibility to the museum will also be improved. If the repairs were to take place during the museum's full operation, they would last seven years instead of three.

"I imagined what the museum would look like during constant repairs in the eyes of employees and visitors. Also, what the impression of the museum would be at a time when entirely new buildings like the Exchange are opening. A lot is at stake. It's dangerous in this time of strong competition in Paris and the world to give the impression that Centre Pompidou is aging, that it is from a different era," said director Lasvignes.

Some necessary repairs, such as escalators on the outside of the building, have already begun. During the repairs, although operating costs will be reduced, funding will still need to be secured. According to Lasvignes, the museum will seek loans from the state and strive for donations from patrons. The new image of the museum could, according to him, also attract large companies.

The museum director also wants to offer organizing exhibitions elsewhere in the world. Partner centers already exist in Shanghai, Malaga, and Brussels, and one or two more could also emerge during the renovations.