The Louvre and the Centre Pompidou each recently announced plans to open new branches in the provinces.  The moves are part of the French government's endeavor to decentralize the nation's important cultural institutions, most of which are located in Paris.  Another aim is to help bolster the sagging economies of two of France's poorest regions.

The northern French town of Lens, near the Belgian border, has been chosen by the Louvre as the site of its satellite.  Museum officials are preparing for a $100-million, 200,000-squarefoot structure, including exhibition and education facilities plus a sculpture park, to be located on the site of a disused coalmine.  An architect will be chosen in late spring to design the project, with an opening date set for 2008.

Meanwhile, the Centre Pompidou is moving forward with plans for a museum branch for the similarly depressed Metz in northeastern France.  The design for the $68-million museum is a collaborative effort of architects Shigeru Ban, Jean de Gastines and Philip Gumuchdjian. .