Daring architecture for the Centre Pompidou-Metz
“As visitors make their way across the terrace and through the gardens that connect the Centre Pompidou-Metz with the town centre and the railway station, they will see a bright, luminous building that appears to be both strong yet light, and which seems to invite them to take shelter under its protecting roof. We wanted the architecture to convey a sense of well-being, openness and multi-cultural mix in a building that has a direct, sensory relationship with its surroundings.”
Shigeru Ban and Jean de Gastines, architects of the Centre Pompidou-Metz
In December 2003, following an international competition, Shigeru Ban and Jean de Gastines, were appointed as prime contractors for the Centre Pompidou-Metz. Shigeru Ban and Jean de Gastines have been working in France as a team since 2000. In 2004 they formed SARL Shigeru Ban Architects Europe, a subsidiary of the Japanese company with headquarters in Paris. The Centre Pompidou-Metz is their fourth project together, after La Halle du Toueur (2004) and l’Institut du Canal de Bourgogne (2005) in Pouilly-en-Auxois, and a social housing project in Mulhouse (2005).
The contracting authority is Greater Metz, in partnership with the City of Metz (representing the main contractor) and the Centre Pompidou (partner of the main contractor).
The Centre Pompidou-Metz is a vast modular structure around a central spire rising 77m above ground, a nod to the Centre Pompidou which opened in 1977. The hexagonal roof structure, which echoes the floor-plan, covers a building with a total surface area of 10,700 sq m, including 5,000 sq m of gallery space. Other areas such as the Forum, the restaurant terrace and the garden provide further opportunities to exhibit works.