Louvre Launches Global Design Competition Amid Strikes and Controversy: A “New Renaissance” Begins

The Musée du Louvre, the world’s most visited museum, has opened an international architectural competition to reimagine two of its most critical spaces: a new entrance on its eastern façade and a redesigned gallery for Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. The announcement, made on June 27, comes amid mounting tension within the institution and public backlash over accessibility and upkeep.

This ambitious initiative is part of the Louvre’s €400 million, five-year renovation plan—what French President Emmanuel Macron is calling a “New Renaissance.” It arrives at a moment of internal crisis: a recent unannounced staff strike left thousands of visitors stranded outside the museum’s gates, while leaked letters from museum director Laurence des Cars revealed worsening infrastructure issues, including water leaks and poor climate control that jeopardize parts of the Louvre’s historic collection.

A Quiet Rebellion and a Bold Response

The timing of the competition is anything but accidental. The strike, which erupted without warning in early June, exposed simmering discontent within the museum over working conditions and growing crowd management failures. With nearly 9 million annual visitors and a building not originally designed for this scale of public footfall, the Louvre’s current systems are visibly straining.

In parallel, a controversial ticket hike for non-EU visitors—from €17 to €27—has sparked fresh debate around equity in access to global cultural landmarks. French outlet Le Monde, which broke the ticket hike story, suggests the extra revenue will help fund the monumental renovation effort.

Designing for Legacy: Classical Integrity Meets Contemporary Flow

The most headline-worthy change is the new eastern entrance. Unlike the iconic glass pyramid by I.M. Pei that marked a bold contrast with the past, this entrance aims for discretion and integration. Designers are being asked to blend the new entry seamlessly with the 17th-century colonnaded eastern façade—a shift toward contextual architecture that respects the museum’s original language.

Also central to the plan is a complete overhaul of the Mona Lisa’s current room, which often draws overwhelming crowds and long queues. The solution? A 33,000-square-foot subterranean gallery carved beneath the Cour Courée courtyard. The proposed space will offer timed-entry access separate from the main museum flow, allowing for a more intimate, controlled viewing experience of the world’s most famous painting.

The Global Stage: Who Will Shape the Louvre’s Future?

The design competition will shortlist five finalists by October, selected by a 21-member jury composed of museum leadership, architects, historians, and policymakers. The final winning proposal will be announced in early 2026, with construction likely to begin in late 2026 or early 2027.

As architectural firms across the globe prepare their visions for this iconic cultural site, the challenge is clear: how do you redesign history—quietly?

What This Means for Museums Everywhere

The Louvre’s decision signals a wider shift in how mega-institutions are rethinking architecture—not as a statement of ego, but as a means of solving increasingly complex social and logistical challenges. Sustainability, crowd control, and user experience are now at the center of design briefs, even for institutions as hallowed as the Louvre.

As the world watches this Parisian metamorphosis unfold, one thing is certain: this isn’t just a renovation—it’s a redefinition of what modern cultural stewardship looks like in the age of mass tourism, climate uncertainty, and digital immersion.