▲ The exterior view of "Pompidou Center Hanwha," an art museum operated by Hanwha Cultural Foundation, set to launch June 4, 2026, after a full-scale remodeling of the annex of the 63 Building in Seoul’s Yeouido district. Photo provided by Hanwha Cultural Foundation. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, March 30 (Yonhap) — The annex of the 63 Building in Seoul’s Yeouido district will be reborn as an art museum, its operator said Monday.

 

Hanwha Cultural Foundation said it will open "Pompidou Center Hanwha" on June 4 after a full-scale remodeling of the annex building.

 

Established in partnership with France’s Pompidou Center, the museum will span four floors and feature two exhibition halls covering about 500 pyeong.

 

French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, known for projects such as the renovation of the Louvre Museum and Incheon International Airport, led the design. The building adopts a "box of light" concept, allowing natural light to filter in during the day and radiate outward at night. Its exterior features horizontal bands of light and curves reminiscent of traditional Korean roof tiles.

 

The inaugural exhibition, titled "Cubists: Innovators of Vision," will highlight Cubism, a major turning point in 20th-century art.

 

 

 

The exhibition will present around 90 works by more than 40 artists, including Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Fernand Leger and Juan Gris. A large-scale ballet stage curtain created by Picasso will be unveiled in South Korea for the first time.

 

Through 2027, the museum also plans a series of exhibitions based on the Pompidou Center’s collection, spotlighting key currents of 20th-century modern art, featuring artists such as Marc Chagall, Wassily Kandinsky, Henri Matisse and Constantin Brancusi.

 

Lee Sung-soo, chairman of the Hanwha Cultural Foundation, said the museum will serve as an open space connecting art, technology and the future, offering visitors in Seoul a new way to experience world-class art collections in their daily lives.

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