A Controversial Pyramid © Magnet

The Louvre’s glass pyramid was built in 1989 and is 21 metres high. It is made solely of glass and metal and is now one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks. It serves as the main entrance to the Louvre Museum. It’s erection caused a fair bit of controversy as the architect, I.M. Pei, was the first non-French architect to work on the Louvre. The construction of the pyramid triggered many years of strong and lively aesthetic and political debate. Criticisms tended to fall into four areas: (1) the modernist style of the edifice being inconsistent with the classic French Renaissance style and history of the Louvre; (2) the pyramid being an unsuitable symbol of death from ancient Egypt; (3) the project being an immodest, pretenti...