The plaza fronting the Pompidou Centre is a rectangular, regular, inclined plain falling towards the gallery itself. At one end of the plaza is the Atelier Brancusi Musee national d’art modern and at the other is a retaining wall. Along the edge opposite the building an avenue of Plane trees are located. Also along this edge large vents reminiscent of ships funnels are located, serving as exhausts to the large basement car park below this space.
Pompidou Centre Landscape, France – View from Above
Pompidou Centre Landscape, France – ‘Leaning’ Wall
Pompidou Centre Landscape, France – Ground Seating
Pompidou Centre Landscape, France – Venting to Car Park
The entire space is paved with granite setts with occasional smooth paved bands running towards the building and drainage channels running parallel to the building. The external space within the building cartilage is smooth paved and level. This flexible space provides an effective blank canvas for exhibitions, events and markets.
Pompidou Centre Landscape, France – Building frontage
Pompidou Centre Landscape, France – View from Building
As can be seen from the images below, on sunny days people tend to congregate within the shade of the trees. The incline of the ground plane provides a slightly more comfortable seating position for able bodied people than level surface.
Pompidou Centre Landscape, France – Seated Crowd
Pompidou Centre Landscape, France – Trees
To be critical of the design of this space, I feel it is missing additional opportunities for shade in the form of more trees or shading structures. My other issue with this space is the lack of seating for less able bodied people. I feel informal seating integrated into the existing landscape would be most welcome.
Pompidou Centre Landscape, France – View from Above Night