Louvre Pyramid of an Egyptian death symbol in the middle of Paris. Meanwhile, political critics referred to the structure as "Pharaoh Francois' Pyramid". Many still continue to feel the harsh modernism of the edifice is out of place. During the design phase, there was a proposal that the design include a spire on the pyramid to simplify window washing. Pei objected, however, and this proposal was eliminated. It has been claimed by some that the glass panes in the Louvre Pyramid number exactly 666, "the number of the beast", often associated with Satan. Dominique Stezepfandt's book "François Mitterrand, Grand Architecte de l'Univers"
Paris architecture of the Belle Époque a new station, the Gare d'Orsay, closer to the center of the city and to the Exposition. It was the first station designed to accommodate electric trains, and it was intended to contain a hotel as well as a train station; the hotel was placed where the museum entrance is today. The original design for the station called for a Renaissance style facade similar to that of Haussmann's buildings on the boulevards. The City of Paris wanted something more monumental to match the grandeur Louvre across the Seine, but also wanted it to clearly express its function as a train