When you think of Paris in terms of architecture, what comes to mind is perhaps the Gothic style of Notre Dame, or Renaissance palaces like the Louvre. But Paris is also filled with modern ( 20 th and 21 st century ) architecture. It is at this point that many people think of the Centre Georges Pompidou, a boldly modern structure that seems to have an equal number of detractors and supporters. But the Pompidou center is just one of a large number of very striking modern buildings in the city.

One example is the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Centre François Mitterand. This complex is in the 13 th arrondissement, in an area of warehouses and train yards. It consists of four tall buildings, each at the corner of a rectangular open space. This space is for the most part a flat wooden deck, devoid of any objects except for some modernist lamp poles. There are, however, seats around the periphery, which are usually full of people. There is also a large section, lower than the wooden deck, which is filled with trees, and runs the entire length of the deck area. The four tall buildings are designed to look like open books. Standing in the middle of them, you get a feeling of openness similar to what you experience standing in the courtyard at Versailles . The seated crowd, and the unexpected green space provided by the trees, softens the space and saves it from being sterile and un-inviting.

Another example of attractive modern architecture is the Parc André Citroën in the 15 th arrondissement. The park consists of some modern steel and glass structures at the south end, which are actually large greenhouses. Running along one side of the park is a series of concrete walls, which have waterfalls built into them. A man-made river runs alongside the walls. At the opposite end of the park from the greenhouses is a giant montgolfière – a hot air balloon – bearing the logo of the company Eutelsat, which has offices adjoining the park. Across from the concrete walls is a wall of green – hedges and trees. This part is sectioned off into gardens with various color themes, such as the blue garden, which is filled with plants whose flowers are various shades of blue. The park in the middle is open, but since the surface is grass instead of wood, you don't get the same feeling of magnitude as at the Bibliothèque François Mitterand. On Sundays, this park is filled with people – families with children, young couples, and older couples - people of every sort.

What is it that makes this modern architecture appealing? A lot of modern architecture is interesting, but it tends to be very large, without a human scale to it. Much of the modern architecture in Paris is designed to have plazas surrounding the building that attract people. The building and the surrounding open space is integrated into the community. People are attracted to the plaza to sit, eat, and socialize. Since it is part of the neighborhood, people come not only at lunch time during the week, but in the evening and on weekends. The presence of people softens the modernist lines of the building, and the whole effect is that of a unified whole.

The result of this is that Paris is a city that wears all of its architectural styles well. Looking at the Parc André Citroën, you think that here is something that people 100 or 200 years from now will come to visit and enjoy, much as they enjoy Notre Dame or the Jardin de Luxembourg. It's a matter of creating buildings that are either striking or appealing to the eye, along with adjoining public spaces that invite people to sit down for a while and enjoy their surroundings. And that perhaps is the purpose of architecture.