A New Islamic Wing Opens at Paris’ Louvre

In September 2012, the Paris Louvre unveiled its new wing and galleries dedicated to the arts of Islam, which allows the museum to properly display its huge collection of Islamic Art. To house the new wing, architects Mario Bellini and Rudy Ricciotti created an entirely new glass structure in the Visconti courtyard of the Louvre located near the Denon wing. This is the largest expansion project in the Louvre since the creation of the famous glass pyramid twenty years ago.

In order to find the right balance between the 17th-century facades of the Louvre and a contemporary structure that pays hommage and evokes Islamic art, the architects have designed an undulating glass roof to shelter the galleries. Layered with gold and silver hued wire mesh diffused natural light will flood into the exhibition spaces. The mesh serves a dual purpose. It fist shades the object d’art contained within as well as evoke the image of a sand-dune or as Saudi prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, the projects main funder, “a magic flying carpet”

The Louvre has a total of over 18,000 works of Islamic art in their collection; this new space will thus allow the museum to put much more of their collection on display. The first floor of the new wing will show works from the 7 – 11th centuries, and the second floor will feature works from the 11 – 18th century, notably their celebrated collection of textile works which include fabrics, rugs and carpets.

Musée du Louvre

The beginnings of this enormous museum were constructed around 1200 as a fortress built by Philippe Auguste to protect Paris from the Anglo-Normans. It was rebuilt in the mid-16th century for use as a royal palace and finally began its career as a public museum in 1793.
As part of Mitterand's grands projets in the 1980s, the Louvre was revamped with the addition of a 21m (67ft) glass pyramid entrance. Initially deemed a failure, the new design has since won over those who regard consistency as inexcusably boring. The history and archaeology of The Louvre can be explored on the lower ground floor of the museum in room 3.

The Louvre’s eight departments cover an extensive array of historical periods and artistic genres, each represented through the museum’s permanent and temporary exhibits. Amongst these exhibits, The Louvre holds Near Eastern and Egyptian antiquities, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman antiquities, Islamic art, sculptures and paintings as well as decorative arts, prints and drawings. There are over 35,000 works from around the globe and throughout history.
There are vast rooms full of paintings, sculptures and antiquities, some of the most famous pieces held by The Louvre include the Jewels of Rameses II, the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory.

Set over 60,000 square meters, Musee du Louvre can be fairly daunting, but guided tours and audio tours are available in English and French lasting ninety minutes and can be historically themed. Another option is to pick a period or section of the Louvre and pretend that the rest is somewhere across town to be visited at a later time.

Address: The Louvre, Place du Carrousel, 75001 Paris, France

Phone: 01 40 20 57 60

Directions:
Located in the First Arrondissement on the Right Bank of the River Seine. The main entrance is under the Pyramid.
Metro: Palais-Royal–Musée du Louvre station, lines M1, M7).
Buses 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95.

Ticket Information:
Open daily except Tuesdays, 9am-6pm (rooms begin closing at 5:30pm). Open to 10pm Wednesdays and Fridays (rooms begin closing at 9:30pm). Closed 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Entry costs €10 (inc Musée Eugène Delacroix). From 6pm to 9:45pm, entry costs €6. Entry is free on the 1st Sunday of every month.