La Pyramide Inversée, Glass skylight in Carrousel du Louvre, France
La Pyramide Inversée is an inverted glass pyramid that hangs from the ceiling of the Carrousel du Louvre shopping center, supported by a heavy steel frame. It sits at the intersection of two main underground passages and serves as a striking visual marker that guides visitors toward the museum entrance.
This structure was completed in 1993 as part of a major renovation of the Louvre complex, designed by architect I.M. Pei. It was created to serve as a modern counterpart to the main pyramid above and to connect the new underground spaces with the historic museum building.
The inverted pyramid became well-known around the world through its appearance in The Da Vinci Code film, where it played a key role in the story. Since then, many visitors come specifically to see this structure and photograph it.
You can best see this structure by walking through the underground shopping center beneath the plaza, where it comes into view as you navigate the passages. The location can be crowded, so visiting during quieter times gives you better views and space to observe the design from different angles.
A small stone pyramid sits on the ground directly beneath the suspended glass structure, with just under 2 meters separating their points. This unexpected connection between the two levels creates an interesting visual and conceptual tension that many visitors overlook when passing through.
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