New 2010 Islamic wing veils the Louvre
Posted by Muslimness Current-Affairs, france news, hijab, muslim designers, sculpture and models Saturday, August 15, 2009
After the famous pyramid of glass, the Louvre of Paris is expanding again - This time in the direction of a glass Hijab...
The €86m (£68m) project will open in 2010, creating 3,000 square metres of gallery space in one of the museum's neo-classical courtyards. Rather than cover the courtyard, a glass "luminous veil" will "float" above the ground, covering two floors. The Italian architect Mario Bellini yesterday described the undulating roof as "a headscarf blown in by the wind".
‘A headscarf blown in by the wind’ is one architect’s description of plans for the Louvre’s glass-roofed Islamic wing, which is due to open in 2010 (Photograph: PR, Guardian)
The former French president Jacques Chirac saw it as one way to avert a clash of civilisations in the run-up to the Iraq war. President Nicolas Sarkozy calls it the symbol of France's friendship with the Arab world. We still think he's silly but kudos for coming through.
Peace & respect ★
