As an architectural form, pyramids are generally associated with the distant past, bringing to mind the Great Pyramids at Giza constructed by the ancient Egyptians and Mayan temples, such as Chichen Itza on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. But the pyramid isn’t an architectural form that’s relegated to history! While they may be less common today, they’re still part of our contemporary built environment.

The Louvre Pyramid, a simple, modern glass structure designed by I. M. Pei, is perhaps the best-known contemporary example of the pyramid. Pei’s design was part of the Grand Louvre project initiated by French President François Mitterrand in 1981 to remodel and expand the Louvre building so it could better serve its role as a museum. The project took a decade to complete, with Pei’s proposal revealed in 1984. Not surprisingly, the design was initially met with great backlash (as was the design for the Eiffel Tower, another iconic Parisian structure).

Calling for a 71-foot-tall pyramidal structure, Pei’s design presented a strong contrast to the classical French Renaissance style of the historical building it was meant to complement. Historian Chantal Cinquin explains that Pei “indicated on several occasions that if his project is plastically inspired by the monument of Giza, the pyramid is nonetheless an architectural form that does not belong to Egypt exclusively but rather to the history of world art.” Opened to the public in 1989, the pyramid created a grand entrance, leading visitors down to a new underground lobby.

The San Francisco skyline has long been dominated by the Transamerica Pyramid, a skyscraper designed by William L. Pereira and Harry D. Som and completed in 1972. The skyscraper signifies an important urban developmental stage, as defined by Brian J. Godfrey, a scholar of urban studies. Godfrey explains that from 1959 to about 1985, modernist skyscrapers redefined the city’s skyline, at a time when “[a]lthough not located at the top of the global urban hierarchy, San Francisco succeeded in becoming an important center of international banking and corporate administration connecting the US and the countries of the Pacific Rim.” The Transamerica Pyramid was the tallest building in the city until 2018, when Salesforce Tower took over the record.

Perhaps the most infamous pyramid of modern times is the Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea. In autocratic regimes, such as the one headed by the Kim family in North Korea, major construction projects like the Ryugyong Hotel serve the purpose of reinforcing the dictatorial government control. Political scientists Haakon Gjerløw and Carl Henrik Knutsen explain that large-scale, costly projects

can bring fame and help leaders share the perceptions of their country’s, and by extension their own, power and affluence. Projecting power through expensive construction projects can also be a strategy for leaders seeking to secure their own hold on power.

The Ryugyong Hotel stands as North Korea’s tallest building. Its construction began in 1987 but, despite having a completed exterior, it appears its interior remains unfinished to this day. While originally intended to show the great strength of North Korea, it has since become known as one of the world’s tallest abandoned buildings.

And yet there are even more pyramids to consider. What visit to Memphis, Tennessee, is complete without a stop by the Bass Pro Shop housed in the Memphis Pyramid? Who doesn’t marvel at the Luxor Hotel and Casino while meandering the Las Vegas Strip? While pyramids may remind us of the ancient past, there are still plenty of examples of them in the architecture of today.

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