On January 28, 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron held a press conference in front of the iconic Mona Lisa painting at the Louvre Museum in Paris, where he unveiled the ambitious Nouvelle Renaissance project. This renovation initiative aims to boost the museum’s sustainability and accessibility, while also tackling the escalating issue of overcrowding.
The Louvre currently attracts around 8 million visitors annually, making it the most visited museum in the world. Its iconic glass and steel pyramid, designed by I.M. Pei in 1989, currently serves as the main entrance. However, according to a leaked letter by Musée du Louvre director Laurence des Cars, the structure is now “structurally unable to cope” with the immense foot traffic and water leakages.
Macron revealed plans to create a “new grand entrance” on the opposite side of the building from the current pyramid entrance, on the museum’s classical eastern façade. This new entrance will lead to a series of underground galleries built under Cour Carré, the courtyard at the centre of the 230-year-old museum. The plans for the new entrance will be shaped through a global architecture competition, a nationwide art-sharing initiative, and a partnership with the Ministry of Education to improve art history education in schools.
Arguably the Louvre’s most popular item on display, the Mona Lisa is currently housed in the museum’s largest room, drawing countless visitors each day. The Nouvelle Renaissance plan also includes a dedicated, standalone gallery for Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, designed to alleviate the current crowding issues faced by those eager to see the iconic painting up close. The new room will also give the often-overlooked paintings in the main hall, like those by Venetian artists Titian and Veronese, the attention they truly deserve.
By the time the €800 million ($834 million) restoration is complete, the Louvre will be fit to welcome around 13 million annual visitors. Macron said in his speech, “The redesigned Louvre, restored and expanded, will become the epicenter of art history for our country and beyond.”
Keep an eye on the Louvre Museum website for more updates on the plans and competition.
French President Emmanuel Macron recently unveiled renovation plans for the Louvre Museum in Paris, in front of the iconic Mona Lisa.
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The Nouvelle Renaissance plan includes a new grand entrance created through a global architecture competition.
Macron also announced that Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa will move to a new standalone gallery.
This plan is designed to alleviate the current crowding issues in the museum’s main room.
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Sources: Macron lays out ambitious renovation plan for Louvre museum; The ‘Mona Lisa’ will get its own room under a major renovation of the Louvre
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