Louvre Renovation : my perspective on the "New Renaissance"

Get a room, Mona Lisa !

“ Are you warm, are you real Mona Lisa ?
Or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art ?”

- Mona Lisa, Nat King Cole, 1950

Dear friends, and fellow travelers,

On Tuesday 28 January 2025, the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, announced at the Louvre, under the gaze of the Mona Lisa, the broad outlines of a historic project to modernise and transform the museum in order to adapt it to the challenges of tomorrow.

The objectives of this renaissance are clearly set out: to renew the relationship with the public, improve visitor comfort, rethink the museum’s itineraries, redirect and better distribute visitor flows, modernise technical equipment, restore the Louvre’s built and natural heritage, and better connect the Louvre to the city.

• A new entrance : To streamline access, a new major entrance will be created on the Louvre’s eastern facade to relieve congestion at the glass pyramid. It will include the creation of new spaces under the Louvre’s Cour Carrée. An architectural competition will be held, with the new entrance expected to open “by 2031 at the latest”.

• A new space for the Mona Lisa : The famous painting will be moved to a dedicated space under the Cour Carrée, providing better exhibition conditions. This space will be autonomously accessible from the rest of the museum and therefore have its own access ticket.

• Modernization and renovation : The facilities will be modernized and the degraded spaces renovated.

• Redevelopment of the surroundings : The city of Paris is considering the transformation of the museum’s surroundings.

The renovated Louvre aims to attract approximately twelve million visitors per year, up from nearly nine million in 2024 !

The Louvre published a video to present the challenges and transformations to come.

Following these announcements, I have been interviewed on the subject by the daily newsletter L’essentiel Paris.

I’m happy to share the translation with you :

Last week, the Head of State announced major renovations for the Louvre. Simon Gaulier, administrator of the French Federation of Guides (FNGIC) and museum specialist, expects a lot from this project.

• WHAT WILL THE NEW ENTRANCE CHANGE ?

  • “It’s important to us. The pyramid was designed to accommodate 4 million visitors per year. They are now 9 million. There are several entrances, but they are never open at the same time. This creates significant inconvenience. When you queue for thirty minutes out of a two-hour visit, it’s very complicated. Even more so if you have to rush to Mona Lisa afterwards...”

  • “For the entrances to be accessible, more staff would need to be recruited, but there has been no announcement in this regard. Today, the Louvre claims to have deployed more than 1,000 reception staff, but this is not evident in practice.”

  • “The museum is not adapted for people with disabilities. The elevators are always blocked or closed. I hope accessibility issues will also be taken into account.”

• THE MONA LISA IS MOVING : GOOD NEWS ?

  • “It’s excellent news. At the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid, Guernica is displayed in a unique room. With this new room, we will be able to offer more playful and complex tours.

  • “Mona Lisa remains a blessing, as many people only come to see it. It’s an icon, like Taylor Swift in our time, Andy Warhol or Michael Jackson in the 90s. Not to mention that there are only 20 Da Vinci paintings in the world, five of which are in the Louvre.”

• HOW TO WORK WITH SUCH HIGH ATTENDANCE ?

  • “Today, the “masterpieces” section is suffocating. Although the museum houses around 40,000 exhibited works, 95% of people go to the same places.”

  • “In the Apollo Gallery, the Crown Jewels gallery, it’s far too hot. When you have 200 to 300 people at the same time in a room that is not air-conditioned, it’s difficult.”

  • “In the State Room, where the Mona Lisa is exhibited, our clients have to fight for a photo. Guides are not allowed to speak - we sometimes get reprimanded or jostled due to the crowds. The current configuration is dangerous, especially for children, because of a kind of funnel into which everyone rushes. It had to change.”

Here is the original article : L'essentiel Paris - February 5, 2025 (so you can train your French !)

And if you made it here, let me know your favorite Louvre work of art, and why ! (or the one you’re excited to see !) :)