Today the papers are reporting that the British architect who co-designed one of the world’s most controversial museums has won the Pritzker Prize, architecture’s top honor. In the 1970’s, Richard Rogers and his partner, Renzo Piano, stunned the design world with the Centre Georges Pompidou, the ultramodern museum in Paris’ Beaubourg quartier. Very appropriate since this is the museum’s 30th anniversary year. 
At the time, people were horrified at the design, which included colorful exposed pipes, escalators enclosed in glass tubes, and the playful Stravinski fountains on the outdoor plaza. But the museum has since become a favorite gathering spot for the city’s inhabitants and tourists. Pritzhker’s committee chairperson says that the Pompidou “revolutionalized museums, transforming what had once been elite monuments into popular places of social and cultural exchange, woven into the heart of the city.”
Mr. Rogers was also praised for his Lloyds of London Tower and a terminal at Madrid’s Barajas International Airport. He also recently designed a proposed 71-story office tower at the World Trade Center site in NYC.
In other Pompidou news--The Centre Pompidou has been authorized to take over some unused spaces in the Palais de Tokyo museum (16th arrondissement) by 2009. This amounts to two-thirds of the building. The Palais de Tokyo is also a showcase for contemporary art but focuses on emerging artists. Since the Pompidou presents the work of "confirmed" artists, there's some conversation that mixing the two "missions" won't...well, mix.
