Les Halles

The full name of this gigantic, futuristic arts center in Centre National d'Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou. In the late 1960s, President Pompidou proposed its construction as part of a redevelopment plan for Beaubourg. The building was designed by Richard Rogers, a British architect, and Renzo Piano, an Italian. Its bold "exoskeletal" architecture and bright colors were seen as out of place in the traditional old Beaubourg neighborhood. Like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre pyramid, the Centre Pompidou was despised by many when it was built. Since then, many detractors have become grudging admirers.

This massive church sits at the heart of Les Halles and the rue St-Denis district. Built between 1532 and 1637, it combines a Gothic structure with Renaissance decoration. St-Eustache has rich historical associations. Molière and Mme de Pompadour were baptized here, and Molière's funeral was held here in 1673. It was the first church to contain the tombs of celebrated Parisians, most notably Colbert, Louis XIV's finance minister, who is buried in a black marble tomb embellished with a sculpture of Abundance by Coysevox.