lgn0409

'Pyramide Inversee' of laminated glass brings light down to the Louvre's new underground complex

30 ton, 13.3 meter square steel caisson frame with skylight and Inverted Pyramid tensioned against it

Architects Pei, Cobb Freed and Partners created a 'Pyramide Inversee' of laminated glass to bring light down to the Louvre's new underground complex and mark the intersection of two main walkways, orienting visitors towards the museum entrance. The Inverted Pyramid forms part of the Phase II government renovation of the most famous museum in Paris.

All but invisible above ground, the Invested Pyramid uses a frieze of spotlights and mirrors to animate the structure after dark. At dusk, the structure makes an ethereal transition between day and night. It also serves effectively as a monumental chandelier.

Individual panes are connected by 381mm-long, stainless steel crosses drilled into their corners and the use of waterproofing silicone butt joints eliminates the need for mullions. The panes comprising the pyramid's upturned base are contoured with a 350mm rise above grade for drainage and a waterproof skin of suspended, double-laminated lozenge panes. Warm, dry, filtered air is trickle-fed to avoid condensation, as overhead fans in the 14 square meter base force a steady stream of purified air through the pyramid.

Pei's Inverted Pyramid was a finalist in the 1995 Benedictus Awards. The Judges' panel described the work as: "A remarkable anti-structure … a symbolic use of technology … a piece of sculpture. It was meant as an object but it is an object to transmit light."