Cathedrals of Culture: Centre Pompidou

Centre Pompidou, designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers in 1977 is both a democratic promise and a playful utopia, offering a wide array of culture to a wide array of visitors. Like an airport brimming with the excited energy of travelers embarking on journeys, the Centre pulses with the anticipatory thrill of visitors heading to art galleries, archives and libraries, performance spaces, cinemas, a restaurant and a viewing platform. Karim Ainouz¿s "Centre Pompidou" imagines a day in the life of the Parisian landmark, moving through its futuristic glass-tube escalators, pausing at its dramatic views of Paris and vast modern art collections, and exploring its hidden chambers. Pompidou is like a huge magnet in the middle of the city, and the film captures the building's appeal to its diverse visitors: local and foreign, fresh initiates and long-time regulars.