Opened in 2010, the Centre Pompidou-Metz is the regional outpost of the Paris museum and one of the most striking pieces of contemporary architecture in eastern France. Designed by Shigeru Ban and Jean de Gastines, the building features a wave-shaped roof made of woven timber lattice, supported on three exhibition galleries that radiate from a central spire. The result looks like a giant hexagonal tent set down in front of the city's railway station.
There is no permanent collection — the museum mounts ambitious, often spectacular temporary exhibitions drawn from the Pompidou's 100,000-strong holdings in Paris. Shows span painting, sculpture, photography, video, and installation, often arranged thematically rather than chronologically. Past exhibitions have surveyed the work of Tadao Ando, Lee Ufan, and the Surrealists.
Allow at least two hours, and check what's on before you go: there are usually three to four exhibitions running in parallel. The museum has a good bookshop and the Umé and Yozora restaurants on site, so it works as the centrepiece of a Metz day trip rather than a quick add-on. Closed Tuesdays.