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.
Speaking in front of the Mona Lisa, Macron explained that the new entrance would alleviate congestion at the Pyramid entrance, which was originally designed to accommodate 4 million visitors annually but now sees 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 stated that the renovation would be funded entirely through the museum’s “own resources.”
This announcement came shortly after the museum’s director raised concerns about the challenging conditions faced by both visitors and artifacts at the iconic Paris site.
The Louvre, which served as the residence for French monarchs until Louis XIV relocated to Versailles in the late 17th century, is frequently recognized as the most-visited museum globally. It is home to iconic works such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and the renowned Greek marble statue, the Venus de Milo.
According to an aide to President Macron, “The Louvre represents France and embodies national pride.” The aide emphasized the importance of acknowledging the current threats facing the museum.
Like other national museums in France, the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, which means the president’s visit will not coincide with public access.
This decision follows the revelation that Laurence des Cars, the first female director of the Louvre, expressed her concerns in a memo to Culture Minister Rachida Dati earlier this month.
She highlighted the “growing damage within museum spaces, many of which are in dire condition.”
Additionally, she noted that certain areas “are no longer waterproof, while others face significant temperature fluctuations, jeopardizing the preservation of the artworks.”
Even the museum’s contemporary feature—a glass pyramid designed by Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei and opened in 1989—has faced harsh criticism for its “serious deficiencies.”
President Emmanuel Macron utilized the pyramid for a state dinner prior to the Paris Olympics last July, but des Cars remarked that it functions like a greenhouse on warm days, rendering it “very uncomfortable” and excessively noisy.
The French government is facing budgetary challenges, and the Pompidou museum is set to close for renovations. However, des Cars emphasized that the Louvre needs significant updates, which are expected to be both expensive and technically challenging.
Last year, the museum attracted 8.7 million visitors, nearly double its intended capacity.
Des Cars raised concerns regarding the overall quality of the visitor experience.
Tourists have frequently expressed dissatisfaction regarding the long lines to see the Mona Lisa, which stands as the museum’s most visited exhibit and is housed in its largest gallery.
The memorandum highlighted the necessity to “reassess” the public presentation of Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic work, with des Cars indicating last year that it requires a dedicated exhibition space.
Since assuming leadership of the institution in 2021, des Cars has publicly addressed the museum’s “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 main entrance apart from the pyramid to better distribute visitor flow throughout the museum.
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