Center Pompidou-Metz

The much anticipated new Center Pompidou-Metz is ready to debut in late 2008 (open to the public beginning in 2010). Situated about 200 miles east of the original George Pompidou in Paris, the city of Metz will be garnished with the first decentralized branch of the Pompidou Museum, adding another architectural art piece to what was once known as Divodurum (the town at the holy mountain).

Designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, the building was partially inspired by a traditional Chinese peasant hat Mr. Ban found in a Parisian flea market. The ninety meters wide roof will be constructed of a timber woven frame into a hexagonal lattice and coated in a fiberglass membrane finished with a top layer of Teflon.

The mission of the museum is to bring life in the field of modern and contemporary visual arts in a region deprived of such infrastructure.

The new museum will host the collections of the Musée National d’Art Moderne kept in the Pompidou Center-Paris. It will also have public reception halls, areas for cinema, performances, conferences, a bookstore, restaurant, and cafeteria.

The project is also international in scope. With neighboring countries Germany, Belgium, and Luxembourg just a short drive away, the institution will be able to enhance its artistic influence within Europe.

ART FRIDAY 29 AUGUST 2008

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