The Louvre is set for a major transformation, with plans to revamp its infrastructure, improve visitor experience, and give the Mona Lisa its own dedicated space. Announced by French President Emmanuel Macron this week, the initiative, called the “New Renaissance of the Louvre,” aims to modernize the world’s most-visited museum while preserving its historic charm.
Among the most notable changes is the creation of a separate room for the Mona Lisa, allowing visitors to view Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece in a dedicated setting rather than within the crowded Salle des États. This move is expected to ease congestion and improve the overall experience for museum-goers.
The project will also see the addition of a new main entrance, with an international architecture competition set to determine its design. Expanding underground spaces beneath the Cour Carrée will further streamline movement within the museum, and the restoration of the Carrousel and Tuileries Gardens aims to provide more green spaces for visitors.
Structural improvements will enhance security, accessibility, and conservation efforts, while a new tiered pricing system will increase ticket costs for visitors from outside the European Union starting in 2026. Additionally, a nationwide initiative will bring more Louvre artifacts to regional museums across France, and the museum will double the number of schoolchildren it welcomes annually, reaching 900,000 students.
Macron described the plan as a necessary step to ensure the Louvre remains a world-class cultural institution. While some aspects of the renovation may take years to complete, these changes mark one of the most significant updates to the museum in modern times.
The daily crowds around the Mona Lisa – photo by Matt Biddulph / Flickr
Some commentators believe that moving the Mona Lisa to a new dedicated space will help ease overcrowding in that part of the museum. Souleymane Bachir Diagne, a professor at Columbia University, tells NPR “ People have just been coming to check their ‘I paid a visit to the Mona Lisa’ box. And even if you go to that room with the intention of looking at the other paintings, you would be distracted by the Mona Lisa.'”
However, others have criticized the prosposal. Jonathan Jones, an art columnist at The Guardian, writes “the decision, dramatically announced by Emmanuel Macron, to move the Mona Lisa to a special hygienically isolated gallery where les idiots who flock to take selfies in front of it won’t bother more cultured visitors who wish to study art in a hushed atmosphere, is a misguided act of snobbery. It may ruin the Louvre’s ecosystem as a place where high art becomes popular culture.”
The Louvre is set for a major transformation, with plans to revamp its infrastructure, improve visitor experience, and give the Mona Lisa its own dedicated space. Announced by French President Emmanuel Macron this week, the initiative, called the “New Renaissance of the Louvre,” aims to modernize the world’s most-visited museum while preserving its historic charm.
Among the most notable changes is the creation of a separate room for the Mona Lisa, allowing visitors to view Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece in a dedicated setting rather than within the crowded Salle des États. This move is expected to ease congestion and improve the overall experience for museum-goers.
The project will also see the addition of a new main entrance, with an international architecture competition set to determine its design. Expanding underground spaces beneath the Cour Carrée will further streamline movement within the museum, and the restoration of the Carrousel and Tuileries Gardens aims to provide more green spaces for visitors.
Structural improvements will enhance security, accessibility, and conservation efforts, while a new tiered pricing system will increase ticket costs for visitors from outside the European Union starting in 2026. Additionally, a nationwide initiative will bring more Louvre artifacts to regional museums across France, and the museum will double the number of schoolchildren it welcomes annually, reaching 900,000 students.
Macron described the plan as a necessary step to ensure the Louvre remains a world-class cultural institution. While some aspects of the renovation may take years to complete, these changes mark one of the most significant updates to the museum in modern times.
Some commentators believe that moving the Mona Lisa to a new dedicated space will help ease overcrowding in that part of the museum. Souleymane Bachir Diagne, a professor at Columbia University, tells NPR “ People have just been coming to check their ‘I paid a visit to the Mona Lisa’ box. And even if you go to that room with the intention of looking at the other paintings, you would be distracted by the Mona Lisa.'”
However, others have criticized the prosposal. Jonathan Jones, an art columnist at The Guardian, writes “the decision, dramatically announced by Emmanuel Macron, to move the Mona Lisa to a special hygienically isolated gallery where les idiots who flock to take selfies in front of it won’t bother more cultured visitors who wish to study art in a hushed atmosphere, is a misguided act of snobbery. It may ruin the Louvre’s ecosystem as a place where high art becomes popular culture.”
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