Lord Rogers, who designed the centre with Italian architect Renzo Piano, said changes to the interior had compromised the original spacious design concept of the building, which opened in 1977.
Lord Rogers criticised the installation of an internal lift shaft and escalators, saying they prevented the free flow of people around the centre. The escalators and lifts link the centre’s library, which is situated over three levels. He also attacked the introduction of a FFr30 (£3) entrance fee to use the building’s famous glass tube external escalators.
Lord Rogers said that his views on the refurbishment were shared by architect Piano. Piano, who worked on the refurbishment project alongside French architect Jean-Francois Bodin, declined to comment.
Bodin was unavailable for comment. The centre reopened on new year’s day after a two-year closure during which its interior was radically altered and its exterior overhauled.
In a prepared statement, Lord Rogers said he welcomed the restoration of the building’s facade, but added that he was saddened that the “guiding innovations” of the centre’s design had been abandoned.
It is tragic that the successful strategies have been irreversibly damaged
Lord Rogers
He said: “The centre was designed to create total departmental flexibility by removing all vertical movement, structure and servicing elements from the inside to the perimeter, leaving large uninterrupted loft spaces.
“It sought to extend the public domain on to the facade of the building by locating all people-movement systems in glazed corridors and escalators overlooking the piazza.” He added: “It is tragic that these successful strategies have been irreversibly damaged by the introduction in the body of the building of an enclosed vertical shaft housing escalators and a lift.
“This shaft not only disrupts the open flow of floor space but also takes the majority of visitors away from the glazed piazza facade into the depth of the building, dramatically reducing the dynamic interaction between ‘people on facade’ and ‘people on piazza’. To make matters worse, this reduction of public animation is being intensified by the introduction of an entrance fee to the escalators, a previously public route. “These errors risk sucking the energy and youthfulness from the Place Beaubourg.”
A spokesperson for the Pompidou Centre said: “M. Rogers is entitled to his opinion. We have no comment to make.”
