Do you think they should rebuild the Palais des Tuileries?

Question

I went to Paris for a day trip this past weekend, and I must say I was not impressed with I.M. Pei's Pyramides. I heard if they rebuild the Tuileries it would help hide that eyesore.

What are your thoughts?

Answer 1

No they shouldn't rebuild it. It would make a rupture on the historical axis from the Louvre to La Défense. Nowadays, the Louvre gives right on the Tuileries Gardens, and hence opens a magic perspective where we can see straight to the Arc de Triomphe (which is located on a small hill). I believe the openness of the Louvre, as it is currently, to be much more welcoming (and also impressive) than if it was enclosed between four walls.

In the coming years, several supertall skyscrapers should be built in La Défense (Phare Tower, Signal Tower, Generali...). As a result, we will be able to see a large part of Paris History just in watching the perspective from the Louvre.

You can easily compare with or without the Palais des Tuileries by looking at these two pictures:

Louvre 1870:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co...

Louvre 2006:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/mt...

We should accept a city to be something alive. It constantly evolves. If one is not satisfied of the city as it is currently, he should better spend his energy in making its future brighter than in trying to recreate a past which is necessarily fantasized. Paris is a vibrant global city of 10 million people. Its future has all reasons to be bright. That's why it should continue looking forward. If it starts looking back, it will die.

Answer 2

Yes, I do.  It would be wonderful.  My interest is historical, as the Palace has a dramatic history.  

See the article below; it could be restored to exactly how it was:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuileries_P... (There are some photographs here)

Answer 3

Yes it should. It would restore the overall architecture of this central part of Paris in a way that nothing else could.