Last updated: June 2026
Quick answer: Centre Pompidou Hanwha Seoul — the first permanent Pompidou Centre in Asia — opened on 4 June 2026 inside the 63 Building complex in Yeouido. The inaugural exhibition, The Cubists: Inventing Modern Vision, runs through 4 October 2026 and includes twelve original Picasso works. Admission is 28,000 KRW (~$18 USD). Nearest subway: Line 5 to Yeouinaru Station.
Table of Contents
- What Is Centre Pompidou Hanwha?
- What Exhibition Is on Right Now?
- How Much Does It Cost? When Is It Open?
- How Do I Get to Centre Pompidou Hanwha?
- Is Centre Pompidou Hanwha Worth a Half-Day?
- Plan a Yeouido Half-Day
What Is Centre Pompidou Hanwha?
The Centre Pompidou in Paris holds one of the world’s largest collections of modern and contemporary art. Its Seoul branch — a long-term partnership between the Pompidou and the Hanwha Group — is the institution’s first permanent outpost in Asia. French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte designed the four-storey, 10,000-square-metre building attached to the 63 Building in Yeouido, Seoul’s riverside financial district. Wilmotte’s design — described as a translucent “box of light” — wraps the galleries in double-glazed glass that draws daylight in during the day and illuminates the building from within at night.
National Geographic named the opening among its Best of the World destinations for 2026. The museum plans two major exhibitions per year drawn directly from the Pompidou Paris collection — making it the only permanent venue in East Asia where visitors can see original Pompidou works without flying to France.
What Exhibition Is on Right Now?
The opening show, The Cubists: Inventing Modern Vision, runs from 4 June to 4 October 2026. It brings together paintings and sculptures from the Pompidou’s own collection, tracing Cubism from its origins around 1907 through its spread across Europe. The show includes twelve original Picasso works, alongside pieces by Braque, Léger, Gris, and Delaunay. A closing section explores Cubism’s influence on Korean modernism — linking the European movement to the local context. Check the Centre Pompidou Hanwha official page for the next exhibition, announced for November 2026.
How Much Does It Cost? When Is It Open?
General admission is 28,000 KRW (approximately $18 USD). Concession pricing for students, seniors, and children is available — check the Hanwha Foundation site for current hours, which differ on Mondays and public holidays. Advance booking is recommended in July and August when Seoul sees its highest visitor numbers; the opening weekend in June reportedly saw queues well into the afternoon.
How Do I Get to Centre Pompidou Hanwha?
The museum is inside the 63 Building complex on the south bank of the Han River in Yeouido. By subway, take Line 5 (purple) to Yeouinaru Station (여의나루역), Exit 4, then walk south for about ten minutes toward the river. Line 9 to National Assembly Station (국회의사당역) is an alternative from the west side of Yeouido. Several cross-river buses connect Yeouido with Gangnam and central Seoul. Paid parking is available at the 63 Building, but the area is congested on summer weekends — public transport is easier.
Is Centre Pompidou Hanwha Worth a Half-Day?
Yes — particularly combined with the Han River parks immediately adjacent. Yeouido Hangang Park, covered in the Han River Seoul guide, is a five-minute walk from the 63 Building: gallery in the early afternoon, riverside picnic or cycling path after. The building’s glass façade is also striking from the river, visible from the park across the water. To extend the afternoon onto the water, you can book a Han River cruise from the Yeouido pier, a short walk from the museum.
For first-timers building a broader Seoul trip, the museum pairs well with a morning at Gyeongbokgung Palace or Insadong before crossing to Yeouido after lunch — it is a natural addition to a Seoul things-to-do itinerary for anyone interested in art or architecture. For more on the city’s wider art and design scene, the Centre Pompidou’s Paris parent institution gives useful context on the collection the Seoul branch draws from.
Plan a Yeouido Half-Day
Stay nearby. Yeouido is a quiet riverside base with easy subway access to the rest of the city — handy if you want a calmer night between sightseeing days. You can compare Yeouido and central Seoul stays before you book, and the where to stay in Seoul guide breaks the area down alongside every other central district.
Time your visit. The Cubism show runs through 4 October 2026, overlapping peak summer. For events on at the same time, the Korea summer festivals 2026 guide covers the Boryeong Mud Festival and Waterbomb Seoul on the July 24 weekend, and the Hangang River Festival layers free riverside programming onto the same Yeouido parks from August 1. First time in Korea? Sort the basics with the Korea entry requirements guide and getting around Seoul guide first.
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