Some interiors from the Centre Georges Pompidou. Paris, France. 2009
Posted by razzbuffnik on November 16th, 2009
Engogirl and I went to the Centre Georges Pompidou today as an antidote to going to the Prado a few days ago. We just had to see something that was more expressive than the visual catalogues of possessions owned by the rich and powerful from years gone by, that makes up most of the Prado’s collection. Let’s not even talk about the mountain of stuff with the guy nailed to a cross and his bummed-out friends.
It was just the same thing over and over again.
I’ve never been a fan of the outside of the Pompidou center. It just looks like a industrial plant that has become a little shabby over the years, but some of the interiors are fun. There are sections of the restaurant on the top floor that look as though they were lifted straight out of Kubrick’s “2001, A Space Odyssey” and then crossed with Roger Dean’s designs.
Although the price of the automatic machine produced coffee was scandalously high (a whole family in a developing country could be fed for a week, for what we paid for our two drinks), it was a pretty cool place to hang out in for a while, just to soak up the design ideas.
A short while after we finished our coffee, a staff member came by and sprayed scent on all the roses. No, it didn’t smell anything like roses but the roses themselves were real.
Go figure?
This next shot is of a little bar (not open at the time we were there) that was tucked away in a little bubble-like silver dome structure.
Around the corner from the bar are restrooms, which have to been seen to be believed.
The whole place was mirrored and you can have the dubious pleasure of watching yourself on the can from four different directions……..
nice!
November 16th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
I really like this use of space, although it makes my imagination feel very dull and uninventive.
BTW, one should probably be sober to use this restroom, otherwise it might get too groovy.
November 16th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
and great link, I love it
November 17th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Can you believe I’m back in London already? What a lovely day we had in Paris! Grasswire, if you read this, you were favorably mentioned by Razz and Engo. As for the Pompidou, go home (safely) and rent the DVD of le divorce starring Glenn Close and Kate Hudson. You’ll see the Pomp’s top floor restaurant and a lot of other great Paris scenes.
November 17th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Grasswire
It was worth the crazy price for the coffee and Roger Dean is someone whose designs I’ve loved since the seventies.
Epic
What a great day Engogirl and I had with you and no, it’s hard to believe that you’re back so soon. I’ve only just finished writing about it all. The post will show up at 7am Paris time tomorrow morning.
November 17th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
That’s a pretty groovy bathroom.
I went to a bathroom in Barcelona (well I went to several, but you know what I mean) and the urinal was a massive waterfall: very cool, but no leaning up against the wall there.
November 19th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Ross
There’s something very appealing yet very wrong about the idea of urinating into a waterfall. Trust those whacky Spanish to come up with such an idea. Ya’ gotta love’em!