M ore and more often old Europe and new Europe are colliding, and having to learn to live with each other. Take the Haas Haus in Vienna -- a modern glass skyscraper next to a thousand-year-old cathedral. The challenge for celebrity architect I.M. Pei was to create a design that would accomplish its task while at the same time allow the Louvre Museum to remain the focus of attention. The solution he came up with was a series of glass pyramids. The structures jut into the sky to draw the gaze of tourists and let them know this is where they should be. But at the same time it allows both them, and the Parisians the ability to see through it and revel in the elder architectural masterpiece. Not surprisingly, the French were opposed to anything that would change the appearance of their fair city. Remember, these are the people who tried to have the Eiffel Tower turned into scrap metal. The idea was presented to the people of Paris in 1983, and they didn't like it. He built a life-sized mockup in 1985, and those with vision relented. Construction of the pyramids allows visitors to enter the museum without cluttering up the courtyard with their presence, and have the museum extra space which was used for offices, educational institutions, shops, and underground parking.
L'Arc de Triomphe - Place Charles de Gaulle (formerly Place de l'Etoile, Etoile de Chaillot) at Champs Élysées Boulevard and Avenue de la Grande Armée, Paris
Elya Zipprick
Thursday, May 26th, 2005 @ 10:29am
Rating: Three stars. The pyrimads are fanmtastic. They are breathtaking. Definatly a sight worth seeing
Nicole K
Wednesday, April 13th, 2005 @ 1:09pm
Rating: Five stars. The true achievements of this structure are the engineering break through cable system, and the underground planning which the Louvre desperately needed. I.M. Pei is a genius.
Mal Walker
Sunday, March 13th, 2005 @ 2:06am
Rating: One star. The Louvre - Oui
The Pyramids - Non, Non, Non........ out of place.
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Elya Zipprick
Three stars.
Nicole K
Five stars.
Mal Walker
One star.