Palais du Louvre by @Thorvald (El Thorvaldo)

The front face of the Palais du Louvre in Paris, home to the eponymous museum. Originally built as a fortress in the 12th Century, its design was revised and expanded numerous times by successive kings. It became an official royal residence under Louis IX and remained the seat of French government until Louis XIV moved to Versailles in 1678, using the palace as an art gallery. Following the Revolution, the Louvre was converted into a museum, and until 1981 also housed various government offices.

The glass pyramid sits overtop the main public entrance which is actually an underground lobby, inaugurated in 1988 to handle the museum's increasing number of visitors.

Original photo taken March 2007. Uploaded to DeviantArt January 2013.