‘If we don’t take immediate measures, the building will collapse: There are pieces of metal falling off of it every day,’ the president of Centre Pompidou told The New York Times ahead of the Paris museum’s closure for a five-year, €262m refurbishment in 2025. The French government will cover the cost of this technical work, but Le Bon needs to find a further €207m from sponsors. Le Bon and his predecessor’s primary strategy has been an aggressive franchise model, in which international cities pay to use the Pompidou name for five years (renewable) and have access to its 120,000-strong collection and expertise: Málaga took up the offer in 2015 (its ten-year contract was renewed this year), and Shanghai followed in 2019 (secured through 2028), while Brussels and Seoul outposts are due to open next year. The future of Pompidou New Jersey remains up in the air, however: the US state previously pulled out of the deal, but a new funding plan has put it back on the table – for now. While closed for renovation, Centre Pompidou plans to disperse its collection and expertise across France’s network of museums.