Tourists and art lovers flocked into Paris's landmark Pompidou Centre museum on Sunday to get a last glimpse of the major paintings and artworks displayed before the building undergoes a major revamp.
Pompidou Centre, one of the most popular museums in Paris will be closed for five years for a major renovation.
"Five years--it's long!" said a visitor. “I used to come here quite often to study the artwork and the sculptures,” she added.
The museum's permanent works include paintings by Salvador Dali, and Henri Matisse, and sculptures by Marcel Duchamp.
The 2,000-piece collection displayed on the fourth and fifth floors of the museum will be taken away from Monday onwards. The Pompidou Centre, named after Georges Pompidou, France’s president, was first opened in 1977.
The authorities said that the artworks would be shifted temporarily to other museums across France and other neighbouring countries as well.
The full closure of the Pompidou Centre – which also comprises a vast library and a music research unit – will take place on 22 September. The €262m (£220m) renovations include removing asbestos from the structure.
With a free entrance on its last weekend, visitors flocked into the museum. Workshops, music, stage performances and DJ sets were put up for the occasion.
Paula Goulart, a 25-year-old Brazilian, admitted she was there mainly for the spectacular view of the Paris skyline from the centre’s upper storeys, reported The Guardian.
While Luis Fraga from Portugal said she was a frequent visitor and “wanted to enjoy as much as much as possible” the artworks before they were no longer here.
The Pompidou Centre recorded 3.2 million visitors last year. The renovation work will run through to 2030, said the authorities.