If there is one architectural work that embraced the idea of flexibility, it is surely the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Originally, the flexibility was intended to accommodate all the arts and their union. As renovation of the building gets under way, how can we look back on this concept? Did it meet the centre’s needs without losing itself in generic or oversized architecture? Is it still relevant today, and what form will it take in tomorrow’s project?

Renzo Piano – Richard Rogers – Ove Arup & Partners, Centre Pompidou (proposition de concours), 1971 © Fondazione Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers Estates / RSHP Archives, London
Renzo Piano – Richard Rogers – Ove Arup & Partners, Centre Pompidou (proposition de concours), 1971 © Fondazione Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers Estates / RSHP Archives, London