A new cultural landmark has arrived on the banks of the Han River. Centre Pompidou Hanwha, the first Korean outpost of Paris’s famed modern art institution, opened its doors in Seoul on June 4, 2026 — a date chosen deliberately to mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and South Korea.
Housed within the historic 63 Building in Yeouido, Seoul’s financial district, the museum is far more than a satellite gallery. It represents a four-year partnership between the Centre Pompidou and the Hanwha Foundation of Culture, designed to bring one of the world’s great modern and contemporary art collections to Korean audiences while deepening cultural ties between the two nations.
A “Box of Light” Designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte
The museum occupies a former annex of the 63 Building that once housed an aquarium. French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, known for his work on Incheon International Airport, led the redesign, transforming the space into what he calls a “box of light.”
Key architectural details of Centre Pompidou Hanwha include:
•A translucent, double-glazed glass facade stretching nearly 500 feet, meant to glow as a horizontal landmark after dark
•Roughly 10,000–12,350 square metres of space across four floors
•Two large exhibition galleries, each around 1,500 square metres
•Curved design elements inspired by traditional Korean roof tiles
By day, natural light floods the interior; by night, the building radiates outward, illuminating the surrounding riverside skyline.
The Centre Pompidou Hanwha Partnership
The project traces back to 2023, when the Centre Pompidou and the Hanwha Foundation of Culture, the philanthropic arm of the Hanwha Group conglomerate, signed a partnership agreement under the auspices of France’s Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Under the arrangement, the Hanwha Foundation leads construction, renovation and day-to-day operations, while the Centre Pompidou contributes curatorial direction and access to its collection of more than 140,000 modern and contemporary works. The agreement is structured as an initial four-year lease, with two exhibitions planned each year.
The Seoul venue is one of several international outposts opening as part of the Centre Pompidou’s “Constellation” strategy — a plan to keep the institution active abroad while its historic Paris building undergoes renovation, alongside a new location in Brussels.
Cubism Opens the Story
Centre Pompidou Hanwha inaugurated with The Cubists: Inventing Modern Vision, an exhibition drawing on the Pompidou’s Paris collection to introduce Korean audiences to one of modern art’s defining movements. The choice underscores the museum’s ambition: not simply to display art, but to build lasting dialogue between French and Korean creative communities.
Why Centre Pompidou Hanwha Matters
For Seoul, the museum adds serious cultural weight to Yeouido, an area better known for finance than fine art. For the Centre Pompidou, it extends the brand’s global footprint at a pivotal moment while Paris is closed for restoration. And for France-Korea relations, it offers a tangible, ongoing symbol of partnership beyond diplomacy and trade — one built on shared curatorial vision rather than a single anniversary event.
As Sungsoo Lee, chairman of the Hanwha Foundation of Culture, put it, the design was chosen to harmonise with its surroundings while standing as a landmark in its own right — much like the partnership itself aims to stand between two cultures.
Opening hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, 10am–6pm; Wednesday and Saturday, 10am–9pm; closed Mondays.
Location: 63 Building, 50 63-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.