STUDIOS Architecture and Selldorf Architects to Lead Louvre's €1.15B 'Nouvelle Renaissance' Overhaul
On January 28, 2025, President Emmanuel Macron unveiled the €1.15 billion 'Louvre – Nouvelle Renaissance' initiative, which the jury for the 'Louvre – Grande Colonnade' architecture competition endorsed on May 13, 2026, selecting STUDIOS Architecture Paris and Selldorf Architects. This undertaking seeks to enhance conservation efforts and streamline visitor pathways for nearly nine million guests each year, featuring a specific route for the Mona Lisa. The committee, led by Marc Guillaume and Christophe Leribault, with Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire in attendance, plans to introduce a new entrance through the Grande Colonnade, incorporating ramps, moats, and subterranean areas. The Mona Lisa pathway has ignited controversy, and unions have labeled the project as misaligned, now entering a consultation phase without a set construction timeline.
Key facts
- Jury verdict on May 13, 2026
- STUDIOS Architecture Paris and Selldorf Architects selected
- Project cost: €1.15 billion
- Announced by President Emmanuel Macron on January 28, 2025
- New entrance via Grande Colonnade (Colonnade Perrault)
- Dedicated path for Mona Lisa planned
- Mona Lisa route location in flood zone controversial
- Unions (CFDT, CGT, SUD) oppose the project
Entities
Artists
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Louis XIV
- James Cowey
- Annabelle Selldorf
- Emmanuel Macron
- Marc Guillaume
- Christophe Leribault
- Emmanuel Grégoire
- Catherine Pégard
- Laurence des Cars
- I.M. Pei
Institutions
- Musée du Louvre
- STUDIOS Architecture Paris
- Selldorf Architects
- BASE Landscape Architecture
- Fondation Louis Vuitton
- Fondation LUMA
- Gehry Partners
- Frick Collection
- National Gallery of London
- Ministère de la Culture
- Cour des comptes
- CFDT
- CGT
- SUD
- Connaissance des Arts
- Studios Architecture Paris
- Louvre Museum
- National Gallery London
- Base Landscape Architecture
- Amanda Levete Architects
- NC Nathalie Crinière
- Carole Benaiteau
- VDLA
- Atelier SOIL
- Architecture Studio
- Diller Scofidio + Renfro
- Atelier Brückner
- LAMAYA
- TER
- Dubuisson Architecture
- SANAA
- Dan Pearson Studio
- Sou Fujimoto architects
- Ducks Scéno
- Vogt paysage
- Le Journal des Arts
- Base
- French Ministry of Culture
- Louvre
- Court of Auditors
- Frank Gehry
- Luma Arles
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Île-de-France
- New York
- London
- Seine
- Rue de Rivoli
- Grande Colonnade
- Colonnade Perrault
- Versailles
- Washington
- San Francisco
- Los Angeles
- Toronto
- Arles
- rue de Rivoli
- Saint-Germain-L'auxerrois
- Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois
- Cour Carrée
- Arche de la Défense