Location: Paris, France.

Architect: Pei Cobb Freed & Partners Architects LLP.

The Louvre, originally built as a royal palace, needed to be modernized and expanded to better serve as a museum while maintaining its historic integrity. The solution involved reorganizing the building into a compact U-shaped museum around a central courtyard, with a modern glass pyramid serving as the new main entrance. This design allows for direct access to galleries in each of the museum’s three wings and creates a harmonious contrast between the historic and modern elements of the building.

Photo credit: Koji Horiuchi.