After three months of waiting, the French Ministry of Culture has announced the winning project to transform the Louvre. Studios Architecture Paris and Selldorf Architects will lead the works, which include a new entrance on the east facade and a gallery dedicated to the Mona Lisa. The plan aims to alleviate overcrowding at the main entrance and offer an exclusive route for the museum's most famous work.
New east entrance and optimized visitor flow 🏛️
The winning proposal includes an independent entrance on the east facade, directly connected to the future Mona Lisa room. This design aims to separate the flow of visitors who come specifically to see Leonardo da Vinci's portrait from the rest of the museum. The work is expected to include specific climate control and access control systems for the gallery, reducing current bottlenecks. The architects have worked with visitor simulation models to anticipate peak attendance and adjust the routes.
The Mona Lisa will have its own room (and maybe even peace) 🖼️
Finally, the Mona Lisa will have its own room. It was about time it stopped being that awkward neighbor who always hogs the attention at the party. Tourists will no longer have to do the eight-second express tour amidst shoving and selfies. Now they can see her smile in a space designed for it, although they will probably still queue for two hours. At least the rest of the museum will be able to breathe easy, without the background noise of a thousand people asking where the Gioconda is.