Renzo Piano has never been a man of systems, but he has always liked coherence. When he designed the Pompidou Center 50 years ago, the Italian architect not only, in a truly revolutionary step, exposed the fluid circulation pipes for all Parisians to see. He also made sure that everyone, public and employees alike, in both exhibition halls and technical spaces, would see these same symbols. Beauty for all, as he used to say. In the restoration workshop, too, an impressive duct with a familiar blue color runs across the ceiling. Along with the few works on display in the restoration workshop in the building's basement on Tuesday, February 18, it's just about the only reminder that we're in a museum.

Other than that, its atmosphere is clearly that of a scientific laboratory. No less than five imaging devices have been installed in the room. Infrared beams, X-ray machines, highly sophisticated cameras and, of course, a battery of running computers. The surrounding noise brings to mind the Tower of Babel, with people speaking Italian, Dutch, French but mostly English with more or less identifiable accents. All in the half-light of a Romanesque cathedral. A far, far cry from the light of Nice, where Henri Matisse created his cut-outs.

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