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French<\/strong><\/a> President Emmanuel Macron unveils Nouvelle Renaissance, an ambitious renovation<\/strong><\/a> of the Louvre designed to tackle overcrowding and improve the visitor experience. With annual attendance nearing nine million, the Louvre\u2019s Pyramid entrance, designed by I.M. Pei<\/strong><\/a>, has become overwhelmed by the success of the museum<\/strong><\/a>. With this in mind, the initiative includes reimagining the museum\u2019s historic Perrault Colonnade to create a new, more efficient entrance and relocating Leonardo da Vinci\u2019s Mona Lisa to a dedicated, standalone gallery.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Nouvelle Renaissance also addresses the long-term sustainability and accessibility of the Louvre, aiming for a more balanced visitor flow, better conservation, and a focus on education. The transformation will be underpinned by a global architecture competition, a nationwide art-sharing initiative, and a partnership with the Ministry of Education to improve art history education in schools. Macron describes the project as a \u2018rebirth,\u2019 uniting the 230-year legacy of the Louvre with today\u2019s demands for accessibility, sustainability, and community engagement.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n UPDATE July 1st, 2025: <\/strong>French Culture Minister Rachida Dati announced via X the launch of the international architecture competition for the Louvre\u2019s Nouvelle Renaissance transformation. Framed as the world\u2019s largest architectural call for a museum project, the competition invites proposals to rethink key public areas of the institution, including a new entrance through the historic Perrault Colonnade and a standalone gallery for the Mona Lisa. Backed by President Emmanuel Macron, the initiative follows rising visitor numbers, approaching ten million annually, and seeks to improve circulation, sustainability, and educational outreach. The project will be partially self-financed through a revised pricing policy and expanded patronage campaign, signaling a new cultural and architectural chapter for the Paris landmark.<\/p>\n all images courtesy of the Louvre, unless stated otherwise<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n On January 28, 2025, Emmanuel Macron held a press conference in front of the Mona Lisa painting at the Louvre, unveiling the transformative Nouvelle Renaissance project aimed at reshaping the museum<\/strong><\/a>\u2018s visitor experience and addressing overcrowding.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The renovation plans include a global design competition inviting architects to imagine the 17th-century Perrault Colonnade as the Louvre\u2019s new entrance. The challenge is to integrate current visitor flow solutions, respecting the classical grandeur of Claude Perrault\u2019s original design. Funded by the own revenues of the museum, the competition seeks to alleviate pressure on Pei\u2019s Pyramid while sustaining the Louvre\u2019s role as a cultural beacon. The competition will be launched in the coming months, with a projected deadline to choose a winning design by the end of 2025. The project will be phased over six years, with 2031 as the target for completion.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Alongside the entrance redesign, the Mona Lisa will move to a self-contained gallery with timed entry and its own independent access, mitigating the relentless crowds that have long dominated its display. Museum officials explain that this dual strategy is crucial for conservation and visitor experience, ensuring Leonardo\u2019s masterpiece remains accessible without jeopardizing its safety. The museum will also implement a differentiated ticketing system with higher ticket prices for visitors from outside the European Union to help finance the transformation. This approach is expected to increase visitation to 12 million annually by 2025.<\/p>\n a global design competition inviting architects to reimagines Perrault Colonnade<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Beyond the headline transformations, Nouvelle Renaissance introduces a subterranean east-west axis beneath the Cour Carr\u00e9e to streamline navigation, while the Carrousel and Tuileries gardens will be upgraded into climate-resilient green spaces. Additional infrastructure upgrades prioritize accessibility, staff well-being, and energy efficiency, with a nationwide art-sharing initiative dispersing Louvre collections to regional museums. This initiative aims to bring Louvre collections closer to local communities, promoting regional engagement with the museum\u2019s artistic treasures. The French President also pledges to double annual student visits to 900,000, framing the Louvre as a \u2018book\u2019 for global audiences. Macron\u2019s plan focuses on teaching art history on a national level, with a new partnership with the Ministry of Education to improve the teaching of art history in middle schools. At the same time, the Louvre plans to train teachers in the museum to help guide students through art history, making the museum a hub for education.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The announcement for the renovation was also shared through Macron\u2019s and the Louvre\u2019s Instagram accounts, where they posted two images to convey the vision of the project. The first image features a sad Mona Lisa with the French text translating to \u2018when the state of the Louvre deteriorates.\u2019<\/em> The second image shows a happier Mona Lisa with the French text \u2018le projet Louvre Nouvelle Renaissance,\u2019<\/em> meaning \u2018the Louvre New Renaissance project,\u2019<\/em> in meme-style font, emphasizing the positive transformation.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Mona Lisa will move to a self-contained gallery with timed entry and independent access<\/p>\n all images courtesy of the Louvre, unless stated otherwise<\/p>\n Crowd looking at the Mona Lisa at the Louvre <\/span>by Victor Grigas<\/a>\u00a0via Wikimedia<\/a>, licensed under the Creative Commons<\/a>\u00a0Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International<\/a><\/p>\n Nouvelle Renaissance also addresses the long-term sustainability and accessibility of the Louvre<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n project info:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n name:<\/strong> Louvre Nouvelle Renaissance\u00a0 The post louvre launches global architecture competition for new entrance and mona lisa gallery<\/a> appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Emmanuel Macron reveals renovation plans for the louvre \u00a0 French President Emmanuel Macron unveils Nouvelle Renaissance, an ambitious renovation of the Louvre designed to tackle overcrowding and improve the visitor experience. With annual attendance nearing … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[142],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\ntransforming Perrault Colonnade and relocating mona lisa<\/h2>\n
Subterranean axes and sustainable gardens complete the project<\/h2>\n
\nlocation:<\/strong> the Louvre<\/a> | @museelouvre<\/a>, Paris, France<\/p>\n