Centre Pompidou, or as it is called Parisians, Bobur - one of the most popular cultural sites of Paris. During the year it is visited by 8 million people - more than the Eiffel Tower.

Open Center in 1977 on the initiative of French President Georges Pompidou, to realize his dream of the cultural center, which will also become a museum and art studio.

In the competition for the project of the Center was attended by architects from 49 countries. Won by Renzo Piano (Italy) and Richard Rogers (UK), who proposed a high-tech building of enormous size. Its feature was the imposition on the facades of internal communication, which have become part of the design. Shingles building air-conditioning systems are painted in bright blue, water - green, electric cables - yellow, lifts and escalators - red. Beaubourg bit like a factory, but very beautiful plant.

Extravagant architecture loved by the Parisians. Large areas of the Centre, has excellent acoustics, was chosen by the musicians, street mimes and jugglers. Every spring carnivals are held here. By Beaubourg adjoins a cozy area with the same unusual Stravinsky fountain - it moving "mechanical sculptures", created on the themes of the composer.

The Pompidou Center is the largest in Europe, National Museum of Contemporary Art with a rich collection of artists of the XX century. Here are free of charge Public Library (2 million. Volumes), concert and exhibition halls, Center for music and acoustic research. In the fifth and sixth floors of the Center each year are major exhibitions - there were exhibited works of Pollock, Kandinsky, Leger.

The main facade of the Centre diagonally crosses a huge transparent escalator. On it you can climb to the top of the observation deck, which offers a great view of Paris. From the north to the Beaubourg quarter adjacent Hours - walking craft area. It established giant animated clock "Defender of time." At the beginning of every hour the bronze man comes to grips with one of the three monsters - earth, water, air.