As you can see, there is a rather dramatic spiral staircase underneath the glass pyramid at the Louvre. You enter the museum through the pyramid and descend into this underground area via the spiral.

Once underground, there are different wings on the museum you can visit. The ultramodern and minimalist addition contrasts dramatically with the historic palace. It’s an elegant way to tie everything together.

The spiral descent into a basement also reminds me of this design from the Omotesando Apple Store in Tokyo, though obviously on a different scale. The Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in New York City also has a spiral staircase used to similar effect and is also topped with a glass structure — a cube.

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