usly opening up the view of the surrounding area.
The most recent decision to renovate the Louvre was made in 1982. At that time, French President Mitterand allocated billions of dollars in funds for the project. The following year, Pei was asked "to undertake the rehabilitation and addition to the Louvre." Pei agreed to take the commission, and he assigned Yann Weymouth to be the chief designer for the project. By early 1984, Pei had developed his plans for the Glass Pyramid. Construction of the structure took a little over four years, and the Glass Pyramid was opened to the public in March, 1988.
From the start, the purpose for renovating the Louvre was to bring an element of modernism into the historic surroundings of the museum. Thus, the new entrance to the complex was designed "to bring the museum up to the service and exhibition standards of a late 20th-century museum." It is interesting to note that Pei's Glass Pyramid was "the first addition to the Louvre in modern times." Therefore, Pei's modernist style in the work was an
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