Louvre – New Renaissance: Paris Museum Overhaul Announced

France has announced that an international team of architects will overhaul the legendary Louvre Museum in Paris. The museum’s structural and security shortcomings were thrown into sharp relief by the high-profile jewellery robbery inside the building last October.

Louvre – New Renaissance project

Announced by French President Emmanuel Macron, the “Louvre – New Renaissance” scheme will create a dedicated area for the Mona Lisa, separated from the rest of the museum. It will have its own entrance and require a separate, exclusive ticket.

The new access point will be built on the eastern façade, with the aim of easing the overcrowding at the existing glass-and-metal pyramid entrance.

International architects selected for the Louvre

The extensive renewal programme has been awarded to STUDIOS Architecture Paris, the French branch of an international practice, and Selldorf Architects, a New York firm founded by a German architect. Selldorf Architects is known for its work on the historic mansion housing the Frick Collection in New York, as well as at London’s National Gallery.

A French landscape architecture and urban planning agency is also part of the winning team, which was selected by a jury from five finalists.

According to the Ministry of Culture, the successful design was chosen for the “quality of its architectural approach and its integration in heritage, urban planning and landscape terms”, as well as for security considerations.

“The proposal creates an elegant connection between the city, the palace and the museum,” Louvre Museum officials told AFP.

Cost and visitor numbers

The project is expected to cost between €700 million and €800 million. However, France’s Court of Auditors has put the figure at €1.15 billion.

The Louvre, which served as the residence of French kings until Louis XIV left it for Versailles at the end of the 17th century, welcomes around nine million visitors each year.