Musée du Louvre: Emmanuel Macron announces plans to redesign the Paris museum by 2031

In a confidential report sent to French Culture Minister Rachida Dati, the president-director of the Musée du Louvre warns of the state of the famous monument. In the memo, the contents of which were revealed by Le Parisien, Laurence des Cars appeals for help and financial support from the French government.

The poor general condition of the monument is supported by the staff on site. Writing in Le Monde, CGT Culture union representative Christian Galani asserts that " not a day goes by without seeing the deterioration of the building, with paint crumbling, rooms, storerooms and workspaces sometimes flooded, power failures and late payments to service providers due to lack of budget ".

Major renovation work is therefore on the agenda, particularly around the large glass pyramid, which is said to be " structurally obsolete ".

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Questioned following the disclosure of this memo, Rachida Dati had announced on France Inter that she wanted to introduce a " differentiated pricing policy [...] from January 1ᵉʳ 2026 and which will notably make it possible to finance this new museum project. " Following the controversy, Emmanuel Macron also intervened.

The President of the French Republic visited the Louvre Museum on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at a press conference with Laurence Des Cars, the museum's director. She said: "The Louvre was designed to welcome up to 4 million visitors a year (...) Major investments have been made, but the pace of obsolescence has overtaken us".

But what is the proposed rescue plan for the Musée du Louvre? Emmanuel Macron detailed the contours of a renovation project that should start by the end of 2025 and be completed by 2031. Among the announcements made was the creation of a new entrance at the Perrault colonnade to relieve congestion at the emblematic pyramid. The president also pointed out that the esplanade alongside the colonnade offered many possibilities.

Musée du Louvre: a future entrance on the side of Perrault's Colonnade in the near future
A new entrance to the Louvre Museum? To relieve congestion at the iconic pyramid, the government confirmed this project at a press conference given by President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday January 28, 2025. [Read more]

There is also talk of redeveloping the Rue de l'Amiral-de-Coligny, which should influence and rebuild the district. The President also indicates a desire to open up the Louvre to the Seine and the Île de la Cité. In another announcement from the government, the Mona Lisa, the museum's most famous painting, is about to move: new rooms are to be created under the Cour Carré, and this is where Leonardo da Vinci 's work will be housed from now on, in a special space accessible independently of the museum, with unique exhibition and explanation conditions for the painting.

Musée du Louvre: The Mona Lisa soon in a new room, what we know
At a press conference, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, would be moved to a brand-new room beneath the Cour Carré. The idea: to make it easier for visitors to access, and independent of the Museum. [Read more]

This architectural project, which is due to be launched by the end of2025 and completed by 2031, will aim to improve working and visiting conditions, and should be financed by the museum's own resources, patronage and the participation of Louvre Abu Dhabi, in addition to a budget of 10 million for the museum's renovation studies, to be provided by the French Ministry of Culture. In addition, the question of differentiated pricing was raised, with potentially higher prices for foreigners and visitors from outside the European Union by January 1, 2026. These new spaces should then enable attendance to rise from 9 to 12 million visitors a year.

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The Louvre is preparing to review its pricing policy with a significant increase in admission prices for visitors from outside Europe starting in January 2026. This decision was made by the government at a time when the museum is reaching historic visitor numbers and preparing new projects. [Read more]