Love it or loathe it, the Centre Georges-Pompidou not only defines Beaubourg, for many Parisians, it is Beaubourg. Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano challenged all expectations when they opted to turn their building inside-out – escalators, colour-coded utility pipes and all. Three decades on, the concept is no longer unique, but the building still stops you in your tracks. Inside, the Centre’s multi disciplined art exhibitions (p.176) continue to ring the changes. Outside, a vibrant mood governs the plaza, a vast, sloping expanse where entertainers of all kinds come to strut their stuff. It’s all good fun (but keep an eye on your wallet). On the Centre’s southern side, the whacky Stravinsky fountain pays homage to the composer’s works, against a backdrop of the Église St-Merry. The streets between here and the Fontaine des Innocents are pleasant to explore before you’re caught up in the frenzy of the rue de Rivoli. Nearby, the Tour St-Jacques is more famous as the site of Pascal’s experiment with atmospheric pressure than for the church to which it once belonged.