An audit report conducted by France’s Court of Auditors revealed that the Centre Pompidou has been operating under an unsustainable economic model.
‘At the moment, let us say, the Centre Pompidou does not have the means to finance its development and investment projects on its own,’ president of the Court of Auditors Pierre Moscovici told Le Monde, with ‘a message of extreme vigilance’ to both the museum and France’s Ministry of Culture, which is responsible for France’s national museums.
The report reviewed the years between 2013 and 2022, during which the museum carried out two major projects simultaneously: a €358 million renovation of its main Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers–designed building. Further delays have resulted in an estimated €200 million in costs and will require the museum to be closed for five years from 2025; as well as the construction of a new exhibition and storage space in Massy, Île-de-France, which is expected to cost around €254 million plus €142 million in additional expenses due to inflation and underevaluation.
The institution must raise the money by the beginning of 2025. As of now, it has raised €39 million, according to the magistrates.
