Everything Sneakerheads Should Know About the Centre Pompidou

Get familiar with the revolutionary architecture of Paris' largest modern art museum.

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Image via Complex Original
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It's not often in sneaker history that a museum is the inspiration for a shoe, but looking at the Centre Georges Pompidou, a colorful, tube-covered museum in Paris, it's not hard to see the connection. Sneaker legend has it that designer Tinker Hatfield looked to the Paris institution while creating the Nike Air Max 1.

Completed in 1977, the Centre Pompidou's exposed architecture led Hatfield to create the visible air bubble in the Air Max 1's sole. The original colorway also came from the Centre Pompidou's exterior, which is color-coded by the function of each tube. Both the sneaker and the building became icons in their own fields, so there's something about their respective designs that stood the test of time. If you're a fan of the Air Max 1 (like the rest of these guys), check out our list of Everything Sneakerheads Should Know About the Centre Pompidou.

It's the largest museum of modern art in Europe.

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Its massive collection spans a variety of artistic disciplines, like spoken word and film.

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It's different than any building that came before it.

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Like the Air Max 1, people hated it at first.

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It started with a design competition.

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It launched game-changing architect Renzo Piano's career.

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The designers were inspired by utopian ideals.

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It's a building with nothing to hide.

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Its paint job is color-coded by function.

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It can change shapes.

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Alexander Calder's sculpture stands in front of the Centre.

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The bustling plaza outside almost feels like the Times Square of Paris.

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It has a new outpost in Mertz, France and it has plans for Spain.

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