Louvre-ly
Daily Dose recently posted some images of Zaha Hadid's proposed design for a new expansion within the Visconti courtyard at the Louvre that will house its Department of Islamic Art.
The design is certainly a radical departure from the surrounding architecture, even more so then the iconic glass pyramid must have been when it was proposed. However, I dig it, and even find the gold embellishments of the skin panels somewhat "French" (like a modern Fleur-de-lis). As Daily Dose points out, there is also something Escher-like to the fluid yet geometric form of the building.
More images of Hadid's design are available here. Although her entry was not selected for the new wing, it is an interesting "what might have been."
The winning design by Bellini and Ricciotti that was selected is far less interesting in my opinion. In related news, a Saudi prince has already pledged $20 million towards the construction of the new wing, which is slated to open in 2009. It will be interesting to see how much fanfare the wing's opening will be greeted with in light of the recent racial and religious tensions that have surfaced in France.
The winning design houses the wing underneath an undulating wave-like form.
posted by Paul at
2:40 AM
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