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Art's New Paris Home!

Posted by Amit Sharma on 29-10-2026

Art and Architecture

A major art collection needs more than galleries to stay in good condition. Behind every exhibition, specialists carefully store, examine and restore works so they can be enjoyed by future generations.

In Massy, a suburb south of Paris, the Centre Pompidou is preparing a new facility that brings these often unseen activities together with public exhibitions, creative workshops and opportunities to learn about modern art.

A New Home for a Major Collection

Known as Centre Pompidou Francilien – fabrique de l’art, the new complex covers approximately 30,000 square metres. Its main purpose is to provide a dedicated place for storing and caring for the Centre Pompidou’s collection of around 150,000 modern and contemporary artworks.

The collection has previously been spread across eight rented storage locations. Moving these works into one purpose-built facility will allow staff to organize the collection more efficiently and carry out conservation tasks in a shared environment.

The new centre is particularly important while the main Centre Pompidou building in central Paris undergoes a major renovation, with the original site expected to remain closed until 2030. The Massy location will help keep the collection properly maintained during this period while giving the institution another way to connect with visitors. The new building is scheduled to open fully in spring 2027.

Designed for Care and Preservation

Although the centre includes public areas, most of its space is reserved for specialist work. Around 13,000 square metres are dedicated to storage, while approximately 4,000 square metres contain conservation and restoration workshops. Public access is limited to selected areas, including exhibition rooms.

The building has 20 large storage areas designed to accommodate different types of artwork. Large sculptures and installations can be kept on the ground floor, while lighter pieces are stored on the upper levels. Before objects are placed in their new storage locations, staff will examine them and carry out any necessary treatments. This may include restoration work or decontamination when required. The planned transfer involves 645 truck journeys over approximately two years, illustrating the scale of the operation.

An Architectural Design with Two Purposes

Architect Philippe Chiambaretta and his Paris-based studio, PCA-STREAM, designed the building to balance practical requirements with a welcoming public presence. Its front façade, finished with Douglas fir, faces a lake and park. Visitors enter from this side to reach the exhibition spaces and a rooftop terrace known as the Belvédère. An outdoor escalator provides a visual connection with the familiar exterior escalator at the Centre Pompidou’s original Paris location.

The opposite side has a more solid, protective appearance, with two layers of concrete surrounding the areas used to handle and store artworks. This arrangement reflects the building’s two main roles: providing a secure environment for valuable objects and offering an accessible cultural destination.

Exhibitions That Explain the Life of Art

The centre is intended to be more than a storage facility. Its public programme will include two exhibitions each year, alongside workshops, talks and other cultural activities. The opening exhibition, titled 150,000!, is planned for March 2027. It will examine the development of the collection, including how works enter the institution and the challenges involved in preserving them.

During the preview programme, selected works and installations are already introducing the centre’s artistic direction. These include a text-based installation by Elsa Werth, a video by Hicham Berrada and a film by Xavier Veilhan. The programme combines visual art with activities that encourage visitors to consider how creativity relates to everyday surroundings.

Building Stronger Local Connections

The project also aims to develop closer ties with Massy and its surrounding communities. The institution plans to welcome school groups and provide opportunities for local residents to engage with art through accessible activities. Its collaboration with the nearby Paris-Saclay university campus may also support conversations between artists and researchers, particularly around environmental conditions that affect the preservation of artworks.

The project has cost approximately €105 million, with contributions from regional and local authorities alongside support from the French state and the Centre Pompidou. This investment supports both the technical work required to maintain the collection and the creation of a new public cultural venue.

Centre Pompidou Francilien offers a different perspective on what a modern art institution can be. As the centre prepares for its full opening in 2027, it promises to show that preserving art and sharing it with the public can be part of the same mission.