French President Nicolas Sarkozy inaugurated Tuesday the New Pompidou Center Art Museum in the eastern French city of Metz.

Opened to the public on the day and with special free entrance for the first three days, the museum was designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, London based Philip Gumuchdjian and Frenchman Jean de Gastines after this architectural trio succeeded in winning the commission competition in 2003.

The breathtaking building internally reflects Ban's Japanese roots and shows little physical resemblance to its big brother the Pompidou Center designed nearly 30 years ago in Paris.

The Philip Gurnchdjian's website describes it as a large pavilion set within a new park and that the organic form of the roof with its woven timber structure is like a great trellis connected to the ground by gentle whirlwinds of timber and steel, while some reports say the roof is inspired by a Chinese peasants hat found in a Parisian market.

With 5,000 square meters of exhibition space, the museum beneath the roof is divided into three cantilevered Gallery spaces, which house the collections and frame majestic views of the great Cathedral and other monuments of the historic city of Metz.

Facilities include a roof top restaurant, cinema and a large multi-purpose creative workshop. The emphasis of the design was on creating a building in harmony with its Parkland environment and a structure that clearly expresses openness and accessibility embracing the key innovative qualities of the original Pompidou Center.

Sharing the same name with the Paris Pompidou, it will enjoy the access to many fabulous works such as Picassos, Dalis, Warhols and others besides permanent and temporary exhibitions from the National Museum of Modern Art.

Additionally, located in Metz, the French city near the borders of Luxembourg, Germany and Belgium, the new center has perfect advantage to embrace foreign visitors beyond the Eastern French.

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