By far, one of my favourite rituals is my morning walk of the grounds at Le Louvre. This entails a quick jaunt across Rue De Rivoli, bypassing the motorists with their baguettes in arm until I reach the north entrance of Cour Carée. From there I step into the shadows of the giant, and take a second to admire the reflections of light dancing within the stone corridor. Once in Cour Carrée I am reminded of the age of the giant where its cobblestone carpet massages the heels of my feet, encouraging me to imagine a time when horses filled the square. With cheval and chevalier now in mind, I continue to make my way through the back of Pavillion Sully into la Cour du Louvre.
Before seeing the figure ground of the stone columns and the glass pyramid of the Louvre, I am drawn through the space by the musician(s) performing in the corridor. Their sound booms across the tight space, and it serves as the perfect accompaniment to the entry way. Visually, it's a compression into an expansion. Aurally, it's quite the opposite. The echo of the musician(s) enlarges the temple, and once you are through the corridor, the sound box collapses and you're in the public square of the Louvre.
There is no other place on the grounds where you will find a musician playing, and I'm certain its because they know of the power of this transitional space. Serving as our daily soundtrack it makes me want to return everyday to hear it anew...and so, I do. The coupling of music and the emotional vision of Le Louvre makes this the most beautiful concert hall in all of Paris.
Before seeing the figure ground of the stone columns and the glass pyramid of the Louvre, I am drawn through the space by the musician(s) performing in the corridor. Their sound booms across the tight space, and it serves as the perfect accompaniment to the entry way. Visually, it's a compression into an expansion. Aurally, it's quite the opposite. The echo of the musician(s) enlarges the temple, and once you are through the corridor, the sound box collapses and you're in the public square of the Louvre.
There is no other place on the grounds where you will find a musician playing, and I'm certain its because they know of the power of this transitional space. Serving as our daily soundtrack it makes me want to return everyday to hear it anew...and so, I do. The coupling of music and the emotional vision of Le Louvre makes this the most beautiful concert hall in all of Paris.
"Can you hear me now?" said Le Louvre...
Feel free to comment mon amis. I'm interested to hear what everyone is thinking. That means you too Mr. Jerde.
ReplyDeleteAll the Best.