Pompidou Center Seoul Review 2026: Exhibition, Tickets & Parking
Discover the new Pompidou Center Seoul with our honest review, including details on their current exhibition, admission, discount tips, and parking. Don't miss this art gem!
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Discover the new Pompidou Center Seoul with our honest review, including details on their current exhibition, admission, discount tips, and parking. Don't miss this art gem!
The Pompidou Centre x Hanwha Seoul opened its doors at the 63 Building in Yeouido this past June!
Even before its grand opening, anticipation was incredibly high as this marks the very first Pompidou exhibition to be showcased in Korea.
📍 Pompidou Centre x Hanwha Seoul
63 Building Annex, 50 63-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
The Pompidou Centre x Hanwha Seoul is located in the 63 Building Annex!
Beyond the Pompidou Centre x Hanwha, the entire 63 Building Annex has undergone a stylish renovation, offering plenty of exciting spots to explore.
I visited around 3 PM on the last Wednesday of July, which happened to be Culture Day,
Culture Day offers a fantastic 50% discount, so naturally, the ticket queue was incredibly long..!
(Remember, Culture Day falls on the last Wednesday of every month!)
The waiting line stretched quite far outdoors, so I definitely recommend bringing a parasol or umbrella if you visit during the day! 😅
But don't fret, the line moved surprisingly quickly, making the wait quite manageable!
I managed to secure my ticket after waiting for about 20 minutes.
While Culture Day (the last Wednesday of every month) offers an undeniable financial perk with its 50% discount, do keep in mind that it also means a much larger crowd!
To the left of the ticket booth, you'll find restrooms and locker rooms.
After successfully purchasing my ticket, I headed towards the exhibition entrance.
Before you go, you can register your vehicle for parking at the information desk.
You get 60 minutes of free parking on weekdays and 120 minutes on weekends!
There's also a QR code for a mobile brochure, which you can download in advance.
Personally, I prefer printed brochures, so I made sure to grab one.
This particular exhibition was held on the 2nd and 3rd floors.
Once you scan your ticket's QR code at the entrance, take the escalator up, and the exhibition starts on the 2nd floor.
Before stepping into the exhibition hall entrance, you'll find a cafe called The Coffee.
The ambiance was fantastic, with high ceilings, clean white walls, and on the opposite side, large floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a beautiful garden!
There were quite a few people, though, as you might imagine! 🤣
Take one more escalator up, and voilà – you've arrived at the exhibition entrance!
I started by exploring Exhibition Hall 1.
This Pompidou Centre exhibition is
<Cubists: Innovators of Vision>.
It runs from June 4 to October 4, 2026 as a special inaugural exhibition.
This is the kind of crowd you can expect around 3 PM on a Culture Day... haha.
While it might not be the most comfortable viewing experience with so many people, the good news is: you don't need to queue to see the works even if it's crowded.
In fact, the staff even guided us by announcing, "You can view freely without lining up!"
So, instead of feeling like you have to stick to a strict order, I highly recommend exploring at your own pace!
I got to admire early works by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, artists who truly marked the beginning of Cubism.
A portrait of Fernande Olivier, who was Pablo Picasso's muse and lover!
There were also bronze sculptures,
Since Cubism primarily focuses on form and composition, I found the sculptural works quite captivating as well.
The interior of the exhibition hall was uniquely structured with multiple curved layers, which I really liked.
The work on the right was particularly striking,
Even though it boldly disregards perspective and arbitrarily arranges elements, it was fascinating how it still conveyed the spotlight on the bride and groom and a joyful, festive atmosphere!
This work apparently caused quite a stir when it was first exhibited.
It was a work by Robert Delaunay, impressive for its harmony between the three goddesses of beauty and the 1912 Parisian landscape (featuring the port and the Eiffel Tower) surrounding them.
It's said to be a work that visually and sensually encodes and translates a dancer's movements.
A work that evokes a synesthetic imagery of visual, auditory, and choreographic arts!
When seen in person, its considerable size gives it a strong presence, making it a piece that many people were admiring.
Georges Braque's work, a quintessential example of Cubism, and
Pablo Picasso's pieces, which incorporated various experimental techniques such as collage and pointillism.
In the 1910s, Cubism also influenced artists in other European countries, leading to the emergence of diverse works.
This particular piece is by the Russian painter Jean Pougny, and I found the prominent Russian text on the canvas quite exotic and captivating! :)
Next, we moved on to Exhibition Hall 2,
which connects to the third floor. Its high ceilings give it a completely different feel from Exhibition Hall 1.
Here, you could trace the paths of Cubist artists who, having lived through the tumultuous period of World War I,
ended up scattering in different directions.
This work depicts the brutality of war, illustrating the flight paths of planes and the smoke rising from downed aircraft.
On the other hand, some artists were fortunate enough to escape the devastation of the war.
Albert Gleizes departed for New York,
while Picasso was able to return to Spain and continue his artistic endeavors, as Spain remained neutral during World War I.
This monumental work was commissioned by Picasso in 1924 as a stage curtain for the 'Evenings of Paris' performance series held at the La Cigale Theatre.
It was fascinating to get a glimpse of the actual theatre experience from that era through the archival footage.
The final exhibition continues on to Exhibition Hall 3 on the 3rd floor.
This hall showcased the influence of Cubism on modern Korean painters.
Personally, I really enjoyed the exhibition's layout. It started by exploring the birth and evolution of Cubism in Exhibition Halls 1 and 2,
and then concluded by showing how contemporary Korean artists embraced and interpreted it!
Meanwhile, I was also deeply impressed by the attempts to depict the Korean War, a shocking event in modern Korean history, on canvas.
Works like <Traces of Anti-Communism>, which visualizes the violence and anxiety of war, and <The Korean War (6.25 Dongnan)>, which captures the procession of Korean refugees from a Cubist perspective, were truly impactful.
Here's a masterpiece by female painter Park Rae-hyun, brilliantly showcasing the evolution of Korean Cubism, ingeniously incorporating the unique ink-spreading technique from traditional Korean painting!
On the first floor, you'll find a welcoming lobby lounge and, of course, a fascinating museum shop!
The lobby lounge, with its comfy sofas and tables, was the perfect spot to relax and recharge before or after diving into the exhibition.
And who could possibly miss the museum shop, right? It's always a treasure trove!
You'll find fantastic Pompidou Centre exclusive merchandise, from eco-bags to stylish tote bags, alongside...
You can also browse a wonderful array of modern art goods like postcards, notebooks, and cushions. So, definitely take a leisurely stroll through after you've soaked in the exhibition :)
With the grand opening of Pompidou Seoul, the 63 Building Annex underwent a spectacular remodel,
And now, both Gourmet Street and Culture Street are bustling with brand-new, trending restaurants and cool brand shops!
You'll find so many hot spots, like Kkapom, Nanpo, Ramen-ya Shima, Parno, and more – truly a foodie's paradise!
Even Pierre Hermé is set to open in August, and I spotted a stylish HAY store too!
Just a heads-up: most of these fantastic eateries observe a break time from 3 PM to 5 PM, so plan your visit accordingly!
From the high-quality Cubism exhibition to the plethora of shops and tempting restaurants, my recent visit to the 63 Building was an absolute delight, packed with so much to see and experience!
If you're a true admirer of modern art, I wholeheartedly recommend the Pompidou Centre Hanwha exhibition – it's an experience you won't want to miss!
From the very birth of Cubism to its fascinating evolution,
and its profound impact on Korean art history – all presented at a glance!
Before Your Trip (Expectation): ★★★★
During Your Trip (Experience): ★★★★
After Your Trip (Memory): ★★★★
*Curious about the Wellness Archive Index?
The inaugural exhibition of Centre Pompidou x Seoul, "<Cubists: Innovators of Vision>", runs from June 4 to October 4, 2026. This exhibition can be viewed on the 2nd and 3rd floors.
Yes, you can receive a 50% discount if you visit on 'Culture Day', which is the last Wednesday of every month. However, due to the discount, a large number of visitors may flock to the exhibition.
Parking registration at Centre Pompidou x Seoul is available at the information desk. You can receive 60 minutes of free parking on weekdays and 120 minutes on weekends.
When I visited around 3 PM on Culture Day during the last week of July, I successfully reserved tickets after waiting about 20 minutes. The exhibition hall was crowded, but visitors were guided to view freely without having to queue.
The 63 Building Annex's Gourmet Street and Culture Street feature various popular restaurants such as Kkapom, Nanpo, Ramen-ya Shima, and Parno. Most restaurants have a break time from 3 PM to 5 PM, so please keep this in mind when visiting.
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