Paris, France – The Louvre Museum, home to Mona Lisa‘s enigmatic smile and nearly 9 million annual visitors, has launched an international architectural competition to address its most pressing challenge: crippling overcrowding that threatens both artwork preservation and visitor experience. Announced on June 27, 2025, the “New Renaissance” project seeks designs for a $417 million (€400 million) expansion featuring a new eastern entrance and a dedicated subterranean gallery for Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece beneath the Cour Carrée courtyard. This ambitious initiative responds to an urgent need for spatial and operational reinvention at the world’s most visited museum.
The Overcrowding Crisis: A Ticking Time Bomb
The Louvre’s infrastructure is buckling under unsustainable pressure. In early 2025, staff staged an unannounced strike, leaving thousands of visitors stranded outside I.M. Pei’s iconic pyramid entrance—a visible symptom of deeper systemic issues. Director Laurence des Cars’ leaked internal memo laid bare alarming realities: crumbling climate control systems, inadequate restrooms, overwhelmed dining facilities, and security risks exacerbated by dense crowds. The Mona Lisa’s current location in the Salle des États epitomizes the problem: visitors average less than 50 seconds with the painting, often viewing it from 10 feet away through a forest of raised phones . With pre-pandemic visitor levels rebounding and President Emmanuel Macron targeting 12 million annual visitors, the Louvre faces a breaking point without radical intervention.
Blueprint for Transformation: The “New Renaissance” Project
The architectural competition, judged by a 21-person global panel, demands ingenious solutions to two core problems:
- A New Eastern Entrance: Proposals must create an access point near the Seine River, seamlessly integrated into the 17th-century Perrault Colonnade. This aims to divert 30-40% of visitor flow from the pyramid entrance.
- The Mona Lisa Gallery: A 33,000-square-foot underground space beneath the Cour Carrée will house the painting. The design must enable timed entries, contextual exhibits (including its 1911 theft saga), and contemplative viewing conditions. Crucially, the space will require a separate admission fee, though pricing remains undisclosed.
Five finalists will be selected in October 2025, with the winner announced in early 2026. François Chatillon, Chief Architect of France’s Historic Monuments, emphasizes the tension between innovation and preservation: “We seek designs that respect the Louvre’s soul while freeing it from logistical paralysis”.
Funding, Controversies, and Global Precedents
The project’s €400 million budget will derive partly from a controversial €5 ($5.40) surcharge for non-EU visitors enacted in 2024, alongside corporate sponsorships and existing ticket revenues. While Macron positions this as a “New Renaissance,” critics question why expansion prioritizes the Mona Lisa over systemic upgrades like HVAC or crowd management algorithms.
Comparisons to the Louvre Abu Dhabi (opened 2017) loom large. Jean Nouvel’s design for the UAE branch—a “rain of light” dome spanning 590 feet—showcases how architectural ambition can redefine museum experiences. Yet it also highlights pitfalls: the Abu Dhabi project faced allegations of migrant worker exploitation and accusations that France “sold its soul” by licensing the Louvre name for €974 million over 30 years. Paris must navigate these echoes carefully, ensuring the expansion prioritizes cultural integrity over commercialism.
Beyond the Mona Lisa: A Broader Curatorial Vision
The expansion coincides with another major Louvre overhaul: the Byzantine and Eastern Christian Art Department led by WHY Architecture-BGC. Opening in 2027, this 5,500-square-meter gallery will create thematic “trails” linking Byzantine, Roman, and Islamic art—a direct challenge to Eurocentric narratives. Des Cars notes this parallel evolution: “Just as Abu Dhabi pushed us toward universality, these expansions will reshape how we present civilizational dialogues”.
The Road Ahead: Heritage Meets Innovation
The Louvre’s transformation occurs alongside Europe’s renewed focus on architectural heritage. The 2025 European Heritage Days, themed “Architectural Heritage: Windows to the Past, Doors to the Future,” commemorate the 50th anniversary of the European Architectural Heritage Year—an initiative that first championed preservation as key to cultural identity. As Parisians prepare to explore hidden architectural gems during the September 20-21 event, the Louvre’s competition embodies a forward-looking ethos: honoring history while embracing change.
Success hinges on balancing three imperatives:
- Visitor Experience: Reducing queue times while enhancing engagement.
- Conservation: Stabilizing environments for delicate artworks.
- Architectural Integrity: Respecting the Louvre’s evolution from medieval fortress to global icon.
If achieved, this expansion could set a precedent for 21st-century museums: spaces where masterpieces breathe, visitors reflect, and architecture itself becomes a dialogue across centuries.
Sources: Louvre Expansion Announcement | European Heritage Days Theme | Byzantine Art Department