French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday announced his plan to renovate Paris's Louvre museum which is plagued by overcrowding and outdated facilities.
Standing in front of the Mona Lisa, Macron said plans included a "special space" for Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece that would be "independently accessible compared to the rest of the museum", with its own access pass".
The Louvre museum would also have a "new grand entrance" to help ease congestion at its glass-and-metal pyramid entry point and be financed entirely using the institution's "own resources".
As part of the so-called "New Renaissance" project, France would, over the next few months, launch an "international architecture competition" and select winners by the end of the year to transform its buildings by 2031 at the latest, Macron said.
Macron's announcement comes after Louvre President Laurence des Cars warned that the centuries-old building was in a dire state, and raised the alarm over water leaks, failing infrastructures and temperature swings which endanger the conservation of works of art.
Louvre plagued by leaks and crumbling infrastructure, museum boss warns
'Higher fee' for non-EU visitors
The Louvre management estimates the renovation work could cost between 700 and 800 millions euros over the course of ten years.
Macron said "a different, higher fee for foreign visitors from countries outside the European Union" starting next year would help cover the costs.
A government source said earlier that authorities were also considering ways to "mobilise resources elsewhere" and get private donors and major companies involved.
France relied on donations from billionaires and the public to restore Notre Dame cathedral, which was ravaged by fire in 2019 and reopened last month.
The museum was originally designed to receive 4 million annual visitors but now handles more than double that number, recording 8.7 million guests in 2024.
In the future, the renovated Louvre Museum aims to attract twelve million visitors per year, according to the French president.
(with agencies)
