Constructed of cut stone, the Louvre is a masterpiece of the French Renaissance. Architect Pierre Lescot was one of the first to apply pure classical ideas in France, and his design for a new wing at the Louvre defined its future development.
With each new addition, under each new ruler, the Palace-turned-museum continued to make history. Its distinctive double-pitched mansard roof inspired the design of many eighteenth century buildings in Paris and throughout Europe and the United States.
Sino-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei stirred great controversy when he designed a stark glass pyramid to serve as an entrance to the museum. Pei's glass pyramid was completed in 1989.