THE LOUVRE PYRAMID
BY ARCHITECT I.M. PEI
LOUVRE PYRAMID
The Louvre Pyramid was built in the 1980s as
the main entrance to the Louvre Museum.
The modern glass structure, which forms a nice
contrast with the historic facades of the Louvre,
has become a landmark in its own right.
The Louvre Pyramid was built as part of a
project known as the Grand Louvre to expand
and modernize the Louvre Museum.
INTODUCTION…..
The Louvre Pyramid, designed by Ieoh Ming Pei is
an iconic landmark and represents the insertion of
modernity in a historic setting.
Controversial, hated and loved, the Louvre
Pyramid has become a place where contemporary
architectural landscape of Paris in the collective
memory of Paris and even in literature, especially
in the also controversial Da Vinci Code .
DAY VIEW OF THE LOUVRE PYRAMID
NIGHT VIEW OF THE LOUVRE PYRAMID
I.M.PEI STYLES AND METHOD I. M. Pei, is a Chinese American architect often
called the master of modern architecture. Pei's style is described as thoroughly
modernist, with significant cubist themes. He is known for combining traditional
architectural elements with progressive designs based on simple geometric patterns.
As one critic writes: Pei has been aptly described as combining a classical sense of form with a contemporary mastery of method.
I.M.PEI’S VIEWS…. ON LOUVRE
"I think the transparency of the pyramid is very
important here. Not only to bring light into the reception
room, but also to see the entire complex of the Louvre
through it.“
WHY PYRAMID…???
"Formally, the pyramid is the more compatible figure
with the Louvre's architecture. Also, it is one of the most
stable forms, ensuring its transparency ... and it is
constructed of steel and metal, symbolizing a break with
past traditions, it is work of our time. "
AERIAL VIEW
THE DESIGN The pyramid is rather modest in size compared to
the surrounding palace wings of the Louvre.
It has a height of about 22 meters (72ft) and at
its base measures just over 35 meters (116ft).
It is flanked by three smaller pyramids and
reflecting pools with modern fountains.
Much effort was made to make the pyramid as
transparent as possible.
The 675 diamond-shaped and 118 triangular
panes were specifically fabricated to make them
completely clear.
Attention was also paid to the 128 steel girders
and 16 steel cables that hold the panes together.
Technology from high tech yachts was used to
make them as small and unobtrusive as possible.
COMPARISION OF PYRAMIDS
THE PYRAMID - GEOMETRIC SHAPE For the entrance to the subterranean level, Pei wanted to
avoid it looking like a mere subway station and he needed the
right kind of building to draw visitors to the museum's
entrance.
After studying the works of André Le Nôtre - France's great
landscape designer - who strictly followed geometric patterns,
Pei came up with the shape of a pyramid, which would form a
beacon at the center of the courtyard.
He opted for a glass cladding since this would be the least
intrusive and it would also allow light to enter the foyer below.
SECTION
INTERIOR VIEW
THE INVERTED PYRAMID In 1993 the underground area expanded with the
opening of a modern shopping mall, the Carrousel du
Louvre.
It is anchored by an inverted glass pyramid, known as
the Pyramide Inversée (Inverted Pyramid), which nicely
complements the Louvre Pyramid.
The pyramid was designed by the American architecture
firm of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, who created a smaller
version of Pei's pyramid, turned it upside down right and
suspended it right above a small stone pyramid.
CONCEPT AND IDEA
He had the idea of digging up the yard Napoleon
nine meters underground and there provide
enough space for the storage of the works of art
and loading equipment, an auditorium for 400
people, information areas, conference centers, a
friendly cafe, book stores and souvenir shops.
THE LOUVRE MUSEUM BEFORE THE INSERTION OF THE PYRAMID
THE CRITICS AND CONTROVERSIES….
The pyramid was a very controversial subject, back
in 1984-85, as people tend to confuse the form of
the pyramid of the Louvre with that in Egypt.
“I think it is not accurate: the Egyptian pyramid is
huge, it is made of solid stone, and it is a place for
the dead.
The pyramid at the Louvre is the opposite, it is
made of glass, it is transparent, and it is
for the living "
B.ARCH 2ND YEAR
A.SHIFHANA