Paris is known today as a rich, acclaimed and original center of art and culture. Famous moments crop up throughout France's art history, such as Monet's impressionist works, the classicist teachings of the École des Beaux-Arts, and Stephen Sauvestre's iconic Eiffel Tower. Paris boasts numerous museums to catalog countless masterpieces and sculptures throughout France's enduring, but sometimes dark, history. As a whole, Paris includes a mix of historic architectural themes like rustic brick cladding, mansard roofs, ridged columns, and modern architectural themes like engineered ironwork and external program support machinery. The notion of classical French architecture, juxtaposed with modern French architecture, creates uncertain opinions about the urban fabric. Among the controversial architectures, the Louvre bears witness to the evolution of art and architecture, from the structure's fundamental roots built centuries ago to the modernist geometric steel and glass surfaces of today today. Touring the building today offers views of blue mansard roofs, an ornate rhythm in the facade, exorbitant stone details and an intrusive glass pyramid. The Louvre was not founded as a museum, but rather as a defensive fortress whose program has changed over the centuries. The history of the building's program, as well as the architectural styles crafted through the centuries, present the Louvre as a work of art still in progress by an artist. In fact, much like IM Pei's controversial installation of a glass pyramid in the courtyard, a new, out-of-place architectural element has emerged in the Louvre grounds over the past 18 months as a new blow to the middle. of paper installations, changing functions and programs, and a deeper analysis not of a break with the old, but rather a nod to the ever-changing definition of art and architecture. Works Cited Connelly, James L. "The Grande Galerie du Louvre and the museum project: architectural problems." Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 31.2 (1972): 120-32. JSTOR. University of Kansas. Internet. February 28, 2014. Deitz, Paula. “The Grand Gallery of the Louvre.” Proquest. The Magazine Antiques, September 1991. Web.Goldberger, Paul. “The Pei Pyramid and the New Louvre open today.” New York Times March 29, 1989. Business Insights: Essentials. Internet. February 23, 2014. Ingersoll, Kostof. . World architecture, an intercultural history. New York: Oxford University Press, USA, 2013. printed “Islam in Paris; Islamic culture. The economist. The Economist, September 29, 2012. Web. February 28. 2014.