The success of the exhibition lies in its universal concept. Emphasis is laid not so much on the projects themselves as on their inception and development. The principles of load-bearing structures are illustrated through the forms of shells. Vesuvius is presented as a model for a crater-like building near Naples. One recognizes the striking resemblance between a model for the facade of the cultural centre in New Caledonia (Detail 7/98) and a sculpture by Brancusi, or the similarity between two tower blocks and a sculpture by Jean Arp (ill. 6).
Despite the great wealth of material, the clear concept and the reduction of the form of presentation to just a few elements and colours allow more than 30 years’ work to be exhibited in a comprehensible manner, from the early experimental buildings to the very latest projects. These include the pilgrimage church near Foggia (ill. 1), a high-rise housing development in Sydney (ills. 2, 3), the Paul Klee Museum in Berne (ill. 4) and the glass enclosing skin of a department store in Cologne (ill. 5). The framework for the exhibition is provided by the structure of the Centre Pompidou itself. The display tables, for example, are not supported by trestles, but are suspended from above, as are most of the models and panels. A better understanding of the projects is achieved by dividing them into a series of horizontal layers.
In his notebook, Piano writes: “The architect practises the finest profession in the world; for on this little planet, where everything has already been discovered, design is one of the last great adventures.
