European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 3, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                X a a amps file even Street entertainers Are being threatened by changes at the  Cente struggles to maintain its reputation by William Drozdiak the Washington Post tin1 serpentine plexiglas i overed escalator that climbs to one it the City of lights lines panoramas is fogged with dirt and grime. The building s futuristic facade a the disgorged entrails of wafer pipes girders and air ducts that give the plat e the look of a Gargantuan mechanical toy a now seems tired and worn. In the scalloped Piazza the fire eaters mimics and panhandling guitarists Are occasionally overwhelmed by hordes of inebriated punks Bent on mayhem. Since its birth 1 5 years ago the Georges Pompidou National Center of Art and culture in Paris has symbolized a special parisian Affinity for the Avant Garde. But just As the collapse of communism has plunged Many cold warriors into an identity crisis the death of modernism has left Many contemporary Art institutions grasping for new standards and ideals. Nowhere has this agonizing quest for purpose and direction in the postmodern Era been Felt More acutely than at the Pompidou Center. This protean Temple of Radical culture nicknamed Quot be Aubourg Quot for the plateau it was built upon near the demolished Central Market of Les Hailes was supposed to restore Paris reputation for Primacy in modern Art. But innovative cultural institutions always run the risk of turning into mausoleums or worse becoming parodies of themselves. Saddled with a capricious mandate to serve As Quot a factory of future creation Quot be Aubourg is now confronting what Many including its present and past direr tors believe is the most difficult phase in its turbulent history. In some ways be Aubourg is a victim of its own Success. As a tourist landmark it attracts More visitors than the elite lower. More than 25,000 people troop through its doors each Day to the four main departments the Public Library the National museum of modern Art the Industrial design renter anti the music research t lumber. Stripes Magazine january 3, 1992 the tourists who visit the building and its exhibits leave behind Many signs of Wear and tear. A amps Michael Abrams renovation plans include efforts to focus More attention on this Fountain and its moving machines. A amps Peter Jaeger the popularity of the building has contributed mightily to its rapid deterioration. The building s architects Renzo piano of Italy and Richard Rogers of Britain conceived their Radical design in the mistaken belief that there would be no More than 5,000 visitors a Day. Quot if you know a place will get used As much As an Airport you Don t think in terms of Wall to Wall carpeting Quot says piano. But physical Wear and tear which has swollen maintenance costs to 40 percent of its annual budget of $100 million is Only the most visible manifestation of be Aubourg s troubles. A deeper crisis lies in managing the inherent chaos of the Center s four artistic departments and keeping them on the cutting Edge of modern culture an almost impossible task assigned by president Pompidou shortly before his death in 1974. In october Jack Lang France s minister of culture appointed Dominique Bozo to replace the retiring president of the Pompidou Center Helene Ahrweiler. A Brilliant curator who assembled the Picasso museum and is considered to possess one of the most discerning eyes in contemporary Art Bozo already runs the modern Art museum and the Industrial design Center. His primary Challenge he said at the time was Quot to guide be Aubourg into Middle age by reaffirming its  but state funds Are running Low and the Center needs new businesses to support its work just As museums m the United states have generally depended on business contributions and private donors. That can prove difficult in dealing with the Avant Garde. Quot it s easy to associate prestigious companies with a show about a Vinci or Rembrandt Quot said Ahrweiler Quot but will they dare to become involved in something new and Radical that s where the educative role becomes important especially after the excesses of the 1980s, to show firms As Well As the Public that something bold and different is genuinely Good  looking to the future Bozo said he wants to expand be Aubourg s path breaking pursuits into photography design and architecture because these Fields have become important Art forms. But a More pressing concern is the slate of the building. Architect piano has signed a contract to redesign the be Aubourg interiors open up the building redesign the gloomy Piazza and accentuate the Charmot such attractions As the Jean Tinguely sculpture Fountain. A successful lawsuit against the company that first painted the building has brought a new infusion of funds along with a $12 million budget increase Irnen t ung s ministry to Linance the new projects Quot alter 10 or 15 years any institution goes through a period of new needs Quot said Bozo. Quot but this place still retains a special seductive hold on the imagination