A Brazilian outpost of Paris’s hallowed Centre Pompidou initially planned to open next year has been pushed back 2029, according to a report in the Art Newspaper.
Construction on Centre Pompidou Paraná, in the southern Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu, has not begun, and a planned call for bids has reportedly been pushed back from its expected date next month. A Pompidou spokesperson told TAN, “The project is currently working toward an opening in 2029 and is in the technical preparatory stages for the bidding process.”
A likely part of the reason for the delay is governmental change in the state of Paraná. The original deal was signed last year by governor Carlos Massa Ratinho Junior, with an investment of close to $50 million. But after an election earlier this month, his administration has changed to that of Sergio Moro. According to TAN, “During his campaign, the former federal judge—best known for the Lava Jato investigation that led to the current Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s imprisonment before his conviction was later annulled—pledged to continue the museum project.”
The Pompidou spokesperson said the change in the timeline “is to ensure that Centre Pompidou Paraná is established as a state cultural policy, rather than merely an initiative tied to a specific administration.”
The site planned for Centre Pompidou Paraná is near Iguazu Falls, a well-traveled UNESCO World Heritage site since 1984. The proposed building was designed by the Paraguayan architect Solano Benitez, and estimates for visitation to the museum are expected to amount to some 800,000 annually.