Beaubourg

Beaubourg (bōboor') [key], popular name for the Georges Pompidou National Center for Art and Culture (zhôrzh pôNpēdOO') [key], museum in Paris, France; the popular name is derived from the district in which it is located. Proposed by French president Georges Pompidou in 1969, the center was designed by architects Renzo Piano of Italy and Richard Rogers of England along with the Danish engineering firm of Ove Arup and was opened in 1977. Its industrial style, with bold architectural elements such as its steel superstructure, clear plastic escalator tunnels, and brightly colored elevators and utility pipes exposed on the outside of the building, generated furious controversy during its construction and for some years thereafter. Like the Eiffel Tower, which precipitated a critical storm in its own time, the Beaubourg has become a tourist attraction and a popular Parisian landmark. Now commanding much of the authority of a 20th-century Louvre, the six-story building contains a modern art museum, a public library, and music and industrial design centers. By the early 1990s rust and peeling paint on the building's exterior made restoration necessary. Begun in 1995 and completed in 2000, the renovation included an updated library, basement theaters, a restaurant, and other expanded facilities.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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