Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers won the contest to design the museum in 1971, over 650 other contestants. Their concept of color-coded chimneys, pipes and electrical conduits on the exterior was not the most loved by traditionalists, and is still a subject of controversy today. As a museum, though, the Centre Pompidou is a model of near-perfect display planning. Each of its levels contains 7500 square meters of re-definable space allowing any type of exhibit.

Of course with a creation as radical as the Beaubourg, the immediate surroundings had to change: the once seedy sex-shop-infested back streets are now more populated by sushi restaurants and upscale wine bars, and more of the bustling, commercial character of the Forum des Halles is present.

While the occasional automobile is permitted (indeed, driving here was never banned, just made highly impractical), most of the ground around the museum is taken up by pedestrian streets and the "Piazza Beaubourg", a huge esplanade facing the centre. Magic shows, outdoor concerts and plays are regularly held here.

The surrounding area has become a trendy, if kitsch, walkabout district with attendant low-end fashion stores, knick-knack shops and bistros, where tourists can enjoy the often crowded streets. The Musee de la Poupée (Doll Museum), just north of the Beaubourg, is on the Impasse Berthaud, a delight for small children with its exquisitely detailed dolls and accessories. Another area of great fun is the Stravinsky fountain, with its many hydraulically-powered machines evoking the sentiment, if not the sound, of Stravinsky’s music - a strange and quite wonderful experience for kids of all ages.