The Louvre's structures were previously abandoned and deteriorating. Following the completion of the Palace of Versailles, the French court relocated its headquarters away from Paris and the Louvre, leaving the structure incomplete and eventually falling into ruin. The palace was built to replace the Tuileries as the residence of the monarch. It is larger than any previous royal residence, with an area of more than 400,000 square feet (37,800 sq m). The main building has an enormous central hall with a ceiling made of gold leaf that measures 84 feet by 48 feet (26 m by 15 m). The king wanted the new palace to be the most magnificent in Europe and hired many famous architects to design buildings for him to live in. Only one architect is still known today: Louis Le Vau. He designed the Grand Gallery where some of his most famous paintings are still hanging today. The king also wanted the palace to be completely fireproof and so it is filled with large quantities of stone which makes it expensive to heat. During the French Revolution, the palace was given to the people and since then it has been used by the French government as a museum and office building. You may have seen photos of the palace where it is not clear if it is day or night.