Be the glass pyramid in a sea of classical architecture...

I’m not a professional photographer, but, for more than meets the eye, I love this photo I took of the controversial pyramid deigned by I. M. Pei as seen from the Sully Wing of Musée du Louvre in Paris. Rising from Cour Napoléon in the central courtyard, the 71 foot tall glass pyramid serves as the Louvre’s main entrance, and a memorable exterior focal point where thousands of admirers gather daily since its inauguration on 30 March 1989.

But there’s more...

Most people don’t realize the considerable controversies the pyramid’s design plans and project met, particularly seeking to erect a futuristic edifice next to classical architecture. These battles went as far as trying to prevent it from being built.

In a 1985 New York Times story about the project’s criticisms it was said that the pyramid was “an architectural joke, an eyesore, an anachronistic intrusion of Egyptian death symbolism in the middle of Paris, and a megalomaniacal folly imposed by Mr. Mitterrand.”  

Even I. M. endured being publicly mocked, which he recounted later in a PBS documentary. “When I first showed the idea to the public, I would say 90 percent were against it,” he said. “The first year and a half was really hell. I couldn’t walk the streets of Paris without people looking at me as if to say: ‘There you go again. What are you doing here? What are you doing to our great Louvre?’”

While possibly not on the same scale or issues of I. M. and this project (yours might be larger or smaller), we all endure setbacks and fight battles when trying to achieve our goals, especially when our vision might be different than what’s there already.

This photo inspires me because it’s more than architectural tastes, or a glass pyramid that defied odds, it’s about have a strong vision, persistence, and making change happen. It’s a reminder to continue pushing forward when others might not appreciate your goals or value being different. It’s okay to be a glass pyramid in a sea of classical architecture.

- Founder, NELLUM & CO GLOBAL