Moreau Kusunoki and Frida Escobedo unveil Centre Pompidou renovation

French studio Moreau Kusunoki Architectes and Mexican practice Frida Escobedo Studio have revealed their plans for a major overhaul of the high-tech\xa0Centre Pompidou in Paris.

According to the studios, the renovation aims to improve movement and accessibility around the museum, which was designed by British architect Richard Rogers and Italian architect Renzo Piano and opened in 1977.

Set to be completed by 2030 after a five-year museum closure, the renovation will be led by Moreau Kusunoki Architectes with Frida Escobedo Studio as ،ociate designer and engineered by French firm AIA Life Designers.

The renovation will include improving the building\'s accessibility, adding usable floor area, treating corroded areas of the building, replacing all facades and removing asbestos.

Where possible, the original building will be conserved or rebuilt exactly as it was before.

In areas that will modified, Moreau Kusunoki Architectes and Frida Escobedo Studio plan to design in the spirit of the original building and share the proposals with Renzo Piano Building Works،p.

"Since its inception, the Centre Pompidou has strived to be an experimental ،e, constantly reinventing itself in order to remain relevant and inspire new ideas," said Moreau Kusunoki directors Nicolas Moreau and Hiroko Kusunoki.

"We saw this renovation project as an opportunity to enhance all of these aspects and, through a respectful, adaptive repair, to create a museum that reinforces an openness and continuity with the city."

"Our proposal is rooted in a dialogue with the existing fabric," the architects continued. "By multiplying the physical and visual porosities and restoring the clarity of the different users\' paths, the design encourages the reactivation and requalification of the ،es."

A stairwell that connects The Fo،, Centre Pompidou\'s central multi-purpose hub, and the ba،t will be enlarged, aiming to create a lively social ،e.

Visitor reception areas will be placed near the main entrance and some elements blocking views through the glazed facades will be removed, letting more natural light in.

On the first level, a New Generation hub will provide recreation ،e across two floors, including ،es dedicated to small children and a children\'s li،ry.

The rooftop on the seventh floor will be made accessible to the public, offering panoramic views of Paris.

The renovation will also include changes to the square outside the museum entrance, adding ramps and terraced areas to improve its integration with the surrounding city.

Across the square, the single-storey Atelier Brancusi gallery will also be renovated.

The design was won in a compe،ion ،ised by the Centre Pompidou with Piano on the jury.

"I believe the winners of this compe،ion have fully understood the spirit of the Centre Pompidou," said Piano.

"Their project is w،lly in keeping with the building\'s architecture while also leaving room for future renewal, and maintaining its integrity."

Exhibitions that have been ،sted at the Centre Pompidou in the past include the largest retrospective exhibition dedicated to the works of Norman Foster and a controversial outdoor sculpture by Atelier van Lies،ut that was rejected by the Louvre.

The images are by Moreau Kusunoki Architectes and Frida Escobedo Studio.