After 10-months of renovation and important extension work, Palais de Tokyo became today the largest contemporary arts center in Europe. Located across from the Eiffel Tower, the center consists of nearly 50,000 square feet of new, raw spaces for the free artistic expression.

The center's pre-opening is being held this Thursday and Friday with 30 straight hours of performances and exhibitions by nearly 50 local and international artists. This is one of the most important artistic events of the season.

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Even though the renovation cost more than $26 million, some of the spaces seem to be incomplete due the dusty columns, the partially painted concrete and the exposed cables. The center's President Jean de Loisy, said that the unfinished look is deadly intentional.

'Nothing is perfectly clean; nothing is perfectly painted on purpose. It is so important in art not to control everything. It's all in favor of creativity' De Loisy said to The Associated Press.

"The landscape here is different from any other center in the world," De Loisy added.

The original building was constructed in 1937 for the Paris Exposition. Some of the purposes included the modern art museum and film and photography center. The basement of the Palais, with 16,000 square meters, was left empty in 1995 after France's prestigious cinema school, the Femis, was relocated.

"La Triennale" an exhibition that includes several venues around Paris will reopen the Palais de Tokyo on April 20th through August. Nevertheless, the official program for the center will start in September.