Architectural Competition for Louvre ‘New Renaissance’ Project Reportedly Set to Relaunch in May
The Louvre Museum’s architectural competition for its “New Renaissance” renovation is expected to restart in mid-May, with the jury reportedly scheduled to meet on May 13 to review five shortlisted proposals, according to Le Figaro. The $778 million project, announced by French President Emmanuel Macron in January 2025, aims to address overcrowding at a museum that receives about 9 million visitors annually, add new galleries and a new lobby, and build a controversial 33,000-square-foot space for the Mona Lisa. The process had been delayed earlier amid staff unrest and then postponed until after French municipal elections, with uncertainty heightened by leadership upheaval following a high-profile jewel theft; the museum’s new president, Christophe Leribault, and Culture Minister Catherine Pégard reportedly viewed architects’ scale models recently. The 21-person jury, chaired by Paris prefect Marc Guillaume, includes figures such as Neil MacGregor and Sam Keller, and the shortlisted firms are Amanda Levete Architects, architecturestudio, Dubuisson Architecture, Sou Fujimoto, and STUDIOS Architecture; Macron has promoted a completion target of 2031, though its feasibility has been questioned.
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This story was covered in Auction Fever, Museum Power Plays