Page "I. M. Pei" Paragraph 85

Soon, however, Pei and his team won the support of several key cultural icons, including the conductor Pierre Boulez and Claude Pompidou, widow of former French President Georges Pompidou, after whom another controversial museum was named.

In an attempt to soothe public ire, Pei took a suggestion from then-mayor of Paris Jacques Chirac and placed a full-sized cable model of the pyramid in the courtyard.

During the four days of its exhibition, an estimated 60, 000 people visited the site.

Some critics eased their opposition after witnessing the proposed scale of the pyramid.