During our first (and really only) full day in Paris, the one place I really wanted to see was the Centre Pompidou, a unique modern art museum that’s located between the Marais (cool shopping & dining neighborhood) and the Louvre. Now, I don’t really like modern art – at least not the kind of modern art that’s a canvas simply painted red (which the Pompidou does exhibit). Anything that looks like a kindergartner could do it (or worse, that I could do it) just isn’t appealing to me. The reason I wanted to visit the Centre Pompidou is that I built a scale model of it for my ninth grade French class and wanted to see it in person. Well, let’s be honest - my dad built it. 
The Pompidou was designed in the 1970s by architects Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano, and to maximize exhibit space on the inside they put all of the inner workings (ducts, pipes, escalator) on the outside of the building. The result looks nothing like any of the surrounding buildings and may be considered by some to be an ugly mess, but I think it’s cool. Electrical circuits are color-coded in yellow, the escalator and elevators in red, air conditioning in blue, and plumbing in green.
The museum is open until 9pm, so when we arrived at 5pm we had plenty of time to stroll through the Kandinsky special exhibit as well as their regular exhibits (one of which consisted of a giant burlap vajay-jay attached to a wall – ugh). The ride up the escalator provides gorgeous, sweeping views of Paris which made the hot, sticky ride in the plexiglass tube well worth it.
With such a unique exterior, I wondered what it would look like if turned into an interior (on a real-life budget, of course). So, here is my interpretation of the exterior of the Centre Pompidou as a modern bedroom:
- Pottery Barn Edison Chandelier – $399
- Ikea Edland Four Poster Bed Frame - $299 for queen
- CB2 Harvey Nightstand – $99
- Allposters.com Kandinsky poster – $27.99 (large)
- CB2 Peekaboo Clear Coffe Table – $249 (as bench at end of bed)
- Target Yellow Starburst Pillow - $49.99
- Pier 1 Imports Legato Pillow – $11.99
- Ikea Hellum Rug – $129
- Ikea Textur Lamp – $29.99
- Design Public Unison Tatami Duvet Set - $30-$148
- Pier 1 Imports Mint & Black Glass Vases – $33 and $41
The escalator is really prominent, so a bold red rug takes its place in the bedroom. The building’s boxy look is mimicked by the bed frame and cool industrial nightstands. Lucite was a must since so much of the building is plexiglass, and the cylyndrical table lamp reminds me of the huge exhaust pipes in front of the building.
If you enjoy modern art (or like me, are merely curious to see what kind of bizarre stuff people create) next time you’re in Paris, the Pompidou should be on your list.
Dave goes to Paris some for work (his boss is there in fact) and I’m determined to tag along next time he gets the chance to go. The Pompidou will definitely be on my list of places to visit while he works (he hates modern art/I love it — such is marriage!).