Centre Pompidou – Musée national d'art moderne, Paris

Location

Paris, France

Address

Place Georges-Pompidou (Beaubourg), 75004 Paris – building closed until 2030

Opened

1977

Type

Art museum

Official website ↗

History of the museum

The Centre Pompidou opened on 31 January 1977, inaugurated by President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. The building, designed by Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers and Su Rogers with Gianfranco Franchini, and engineered by Arup with Peter Rice as principal engineer, became famous for placing its structure and technical services on the outside. It stands on the Plateau Beaubourg in Paris's 4th arrondissement. The Centre is a state-owned public institution subsidized by the French Ministry of Culture; Laurent Le Bon has been its president since 2021. Besides the Musée national d'art moderne it houses a public library, the Bpi.

What you can see

The Musée national d'art moderne collects modern and contemporary art, including painting, sculpture, photography, architecture and design. Its design sector is where watches come in. The online collection catalogue lists several Swatch watches.

• "Deux amoureux" (Two Lovers), 1988 – a Swatch designed by the Italian artist Valerio Adami (born 1935) and made by Swatch in Biel, Switzerland, as part of a series linked to the Fondation Maeght. The catalogue records an ABS case of 3.5 cm diameter, a PVC strap, product reference GZ111 and an edition of 5,000; the museum's example is no. 131. Inventory number AM 1993-1-455, credit line "Gift of Swatch, 1992".
• Other Swatch watches – the catalogue also lists further pieces titled "Montre Swatch" and a watch titled "Horizon".

Swatch and the Centre Pompidou

According to Swatch, the two have a long-running partnership:

• 1985 – Kiki Picasso, the first Swatch Art Special, was unveiled with the museum.
• 1999 – the JELLY PIANO watch, a reference to architect Renzo Piano. During the building's renovation at the time, Swatch put up what it calls the world's biggest outdoor billboard on the building, with the slogan "Vous aussi, vous êtes notre musée", which earned a Guinness World Records entry.
• 2018 – the Centre Pompidou joined Swatch's Museum Journey series, alongside the Louvre, MoMA, the Rijksmuseum and the Thyssen-Bornemisza.
• 2022 – the Swatch X Centre Pompidou collection, launched on 10 March 2022, reinterpreted six works from the collection, including works by Frida Kahlo, Amedeo Modigliani, Robert Delaunay, Vassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian.

Why it matters for watch collectors

Swatch launched its first collection in 1983 and has presented its plastic quartz watches as affordable design objects from the start. Their presence in the design collection of a leading modern art museum reflects that status. For collectors, the online catalogue is a useful reference: entries record exact model references and edition numbers, as with Adami's GZ111. Note that design objects in a museum collection are usually kept in storage and shown only in specific exhibitions.

Visiting

According to the official website, the Paris building closed on 22 September 2025 for a major renovation and is scheduled to reopen in 2030. Major works begin in early 2026 and include asbestos removal, structural and energy upgrades, better accessibility and a rethought display of the collection, led by AIA Life Designers and Moreau Kusunoki with Frida Escobedo Studio. During the closure, the Centre continues through its "Constellation" program at partner venues such as the Grand Palais, Centre Pompidou-Metz and Centre Pompidou Málaga. A new site, Centre Pompidou Francilien – fabrique de l'art in Massy, is due to open in spring 2027. Check the official website for current exhibitions and venues.

Related brands

• Swatch

Opening hours, prices and exhibitions change. Please check the official website before your visit.

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