France plans $800 million makeover for the Louvre, Mona Lisa’s overcrowded dwelling

Paris — It’s the most visited museum on this planet, however administration, employees and guests agree the long-lasting Louvre in Paris — the house of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa — is in want of some severe TLC.

“Now we have issues with the constructing,” Louvre Museum director Laurence des Vehicles acknowledged to CBS Information. She stated the problems are partly on account of age, because the palace that homes the museum was initially constructed within the early thirteenth century.

“It is 9 centuries of historical past, on the coronary heart of Paris and on the coronary heart of the historical past of France,” stated des Vehicles.

However it’s additionally a problem of repairs. The final main renovation of the museum was greater than three many years in the past, when famend architect I.M. Pei’s now-iconic glass pyramid was added to function the principle entrance.

When that entrance was inaugurated in 1989, nevertheless, the architects have been planning for about 4 million guests per yr. Final yr, the Louvre drew 9 million folks, and officers hope to see that annual footfall rise to 12 million within the years forward.

To permit for that enhance, French President Emmanuel Macron final month introduced an bold 10-year plan to refurbish and increase the museum. The plans embrace establishing a brand new entrance on the east facet of the constructing, to assist handle the circulate of holiday makers.

It would turn out to be the principle entrance, because the pyramid is just too small to deal with the present variety of guests, not to mention the anticipated enhance. The entry level is small, area under it’s restricted, and in the summertime it will get extremely popular beneath all of the glass. The Louvre Pyramid will proceed to be a customer entry level, nevertheless.

The brand new entrance will open onto the museum’s jap courtyard, the Cour Carrée, and the plan is to increase downwards, constructing new galleries beneath it. A type of galleries has been earmarked as a brand new dwelling for the Louvre’s most well-known piece, the Mona Lisa.

If you happen to ask the folks standing in line exterior the museum what they’re most wanting ahead to seeing, the overwhelming majority will reply “the Mona Lisa.”

Carlos from San Diego did not even hesitate: “I at all times needed to see it, ever since I used to be little,” he informed CBS Information. “I am an enormous fan and this is likely one of the issues that I look ahead to.”

“You’ll be able to by no means get sufficient of it,” stated Ella, visiting from Canada, who had already been to the Louvre on a number of earlier visits to Paris.

However as soon as contained in the room the place Mona Lisa at present lives, her international attract means crowds jostling to catch a glimpse of her mysterious face. The portray’s comparatively small dimension usually comes as a shock to guests, a few of whom are left utilizing the zoom operate on their smartphone cameras to get a better look.

Da Vinci’s masterpiece is within the Salle des États, the biggest room within the Louvre. It’s also dwelling to main works by the Venetian masters Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese, which frequently go ignored. The exceptional piece, The Wedding ceremony Feast at Cana, by Veronese, fills the again wall, going through the Mona Lisa. However guests usually stroll straight previous it with out even seeing it.

“She’s a form of common masterpiece,” says des Vehicles. “Folks wish to spend time along with her, and that is okay. And we have to manage that. However the Louvre is crammed with 1,000 Mona Lisas.”

She says one of many aims of the renovation is to enhance customer circulate, so that folks can discover the collections they most wish to see extra simply “and likewise uncover the wonders of the Louvre”.

Des Vehicles believes the brand new principal entrance may also hyperlink the museum to the town round it in a extra concrete means. “The Pyramid is a superb, fantastic piece of structure,” she says. “However it’s a bit remoted in Paris, not in direct contact with the town. The jap entrance will enable us to attach on to the town, and so we predict it is an ideal stability for this extraordinary constructing.”

The bold refurbishment will take a complete of 10 years: Six years for the growth and one other 4 for important repairs to the constructing and upgrades to outdated technical installations. The safety system may also be up to date to accommodate the ever-increasing numbers who go by means of the museum’s doorways.

The venture is predicted to price round $800 million. Macron promised that French taxpayers wouldn’t should foot the invoice – though authorities funds will cowl the $10 million price of the preliminary surveys and plans.

To assist pay for all of the work, ticket pricing will change — and guests from exterior the European Union should pay extra from subsequent yr. French and European taxes assist fund public cultural establishments, so the argument is that they’re already paying on high of the entry ticket, not like guests from farther afield.

“It is to not discourage worldwide tourism or to punish anybody, however it’s the truth of the financial system,” stated des Vehicles.

The Louvre has additionally launched a fundraising drive, hoping the museum’s stature will open purse strings around the globe, in order that it might probably proceed to carry on to its primary spot, whereas adapting to the instances.