A transparent controversy…

The Pyramid

Ieoh Ming Pei

On your way through the Salle du Manège, look through the glass door to the famous Pyramid which sparked such controversy in the press and the National Assembly during its construction  between 1985 and 1989. Some feared the venerable palace would be transfigured beyond repair… but in fact, the project followed in an 800 year-old tradition of architectural transformations, such as the demolition of a 30 metre-high keep that once stood at the heart of the medieval fortress. I.M. Pei’s Pyramid – a mere 19 metres in height – was inspired in part by the geometry of the Tuileries Garden, and the Chinese-born American architect chose the clearest possible glass to ensure that the buildings of his predecessors would remain perfectly visible.