French President Emmanuel Macron visited the Louvre Museum in Paris on Tuesday, where he announced plans for a “new grand entrance” as part of an initiative to enhance the world’s most-visited museum.
During his address in front of the Mona Lisa, Macron stated that the new entrance would alleviate congestion at the Pyramid entrance, which was originally designed to accommodate a maximum of 4 million visitors annually but currently serves up to 9 million.
He also mentioned that the Mona Lisa would be relocated to a new exhibition area, allowing it to be “independently accessible from the rest of the museum,” complete with “its own access pass.”
Macron confirmed that the renovations would be funded entirely through the museum’s “own resources.”
This announcement followed a warning from the museum’s director regarding the challenging conditions faced by both visitors and artifacts at the iconic Paris site.
Once the residence of French monarchs until Louis XIV moved to Versailles in the late 17th century, the Louvre consistently ranks as the world’s most-visited museum, showcasing masterpieces such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and the Greek marble sculpture, the Venus de Milo.
“The Louvre represents a symbol of France and embodies French pride,” an aide to Macron conveyed to AFP. “It would be irresponsible to ignore the risks currently threatening the museum.”
The Louvre, like other national museums in France, is closed on Tuesdays, which means that the president will not encounter the general public during his visit.
This decision was made public following revelations that Laurence des Cars, the first female director of the iconic museum, had communicated her concerns to Culture Minister Rachida Dati earlier this month.
In her memo, she highlighted the “growing damage within museum spaces, many of which are in a deteriorating state.”
She further noted that certain areas “are no longer waterproof, while others face significant fluctuations in temperature, jeopardizing the preservation of artworks.”
Even the museum’s most contemporary feature – a glass pyramid created by Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei and inaugurated in 1989 – has faced harsh criticism due to its “significant deficiencies.”
President Emmanuel Macron utilized the pyramid for a state dinner prior to the opening of the Paris Olympics last July; however, des Cars remarked that it functions like a greenhouse on warm days, rendering it “extremely uncomfortable” and excessively noisy.
Despite the financial challenges faced by the French government and the upcoming closure of the Pompidou museum for renovations, des Cars emphasized that the Louvre necessitates a comprehensive renovation that is expected to be both expensive and technically challenging.
Last year, the museum attracted 8.7 million visitors to its renowned galleries, approximately double the capacity for which it was originally designed.
Des Cars voiced her concerns regarding the quality of the visitor experience.
Tourists have consistently expressed dissatisfaction regarding the lengthy lines to view the Mona Lisa, which stands as the museum’s most visited exhibit and is housed in its largest gallery.
The memorandum emphasized the necessity to “reassess” the manner in which Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic work is showcased to the public. Des Cars indicated last year that the painting requires its own dedicated space.
Since assuming leadership of the institution in 2021, des Cars has publicly addressed the museum’s situation, describing it as having reached a “saturation point.”
One of her initial significant actions was to implement a daily visitor limit of 30,000 and to extend the museum’s operating hours.
Additionally, she has supported the proposal to establish a second primary entrance apart from the pyramid to better distribute visitor flow throughout the museum.
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