Historical Context
When the Louvre Pyramid opened in 1989 it was not universally well liked. Now considered a symbol of Paris, at the time it was labelled "an annex to Disneyland" by some, and was Chinese American architect I. M. Pei's most controversial project in a long career.
Pei was commissioned by French president François Mitterrand to reorganize aspects of the Louvre and it took four years to construct. There are also three smaller glass pyramids surrounding it. The central large pyramid stands 70ft tall in the central courtyard of the Louvre and provides a grand underground entrance to the 12th century palace turned museum in the center of Paris.
Monument Info
Location: Paris, France
Related Events
- 1989-03-28 The Louvre Pyramid designed by I. M. Pei is inaugurated by French President François Mitterrand in Paris
- 1989-03-29 I. M. Pei's pyramidal entrance to the renovated Louvre Museum opens in Paris, France
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21st President of France
François Mitterrand
Architect
I. M. Pei
