30 years ago, the glass pyramid in the courtyard of the Louvre was opened

Paris – The impressive glass pyramid in the center of Napoleon's courtyard in front of the Louvre, which has served as the main entrance to this most famous Parisian museum since March 29, 1989, is one of the symbols of the French capital. The bold project by the American architect of Chinese descent Ieoh Ming Pei was pushed forward in 1983 by the then French president François Mitterrand, despite nearly three-quarters of the French initially disagreeing with the unconventional structure.

They were primarily concerned about how Pei's typical stark lines, stone, concrete, glass, and steel would fit into the traditional environment. Ultimately, however, most critics were pleasantly surprised. The pyramid, approximately 21 meters high, actually serves as the roof of vast underground spaces that house visitor services. The accessibility of this space marked the end of the first phase of the so-called Grand Louvre project, which aimed to expand and modernize the Louvre and make it "the largest museum in the world."