Europe · France
Centre Pompidou
A bold building with its pipes, stairs and ducts on the outside, painted in bright colors, holds Europe's biggest collection of modern and contemporary art, with huge holdings of Kandinsky, Matisse and Picasso.
History of the museum
President Georges Pompidou wanted a big new cultural center for Paris, and an architecture contest in 1971 was won by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, who put the building's insides on the outside. Many Parisians hated it at first. It opened in 1977, almost three years after Pompidou's death, and has been one of the city's most popular sights since.
Top pieces
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Accent on Pink Wassily Kandinsky, 1926 -
Picture with a Black Arch Wassily Kandinsky, 1912
