Harsh review for Louvre—from its director—gets quick response

Apparently, squeaking wheels still get greased. On the heels of a confidential complaint letter about conditions at the Louvre, penned by its director, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a slew of upgrades and improvements for the famed museum.

The promised changes include a new entrance along the Seine side of the building to relieve crowding at existing entrances,

In a confidential letter leaked to the newspaper Le Parisien, the Louvre museum’s director warned the French government that the world-famous museum is over-crowded, leaking, and lacks snack and meal choices for visitors.

Laurence des Cars told the Minister of Culture that visiting the museum has become “physical ordeal. Accessing the works of art takes time and is not always easy. There is no space for visitors to take a break. There is a lack of food and washroom facilities, well below international standards. The signage needs to be completely rethought.”

Other issues raised in the letter include areas that are no longer watertight, and in some parts of the building temperature variations “endanger conservation of the artwork.” Des Cars referred to the Louvre’s buildings as “overworked”, noting “increased damage in parts of the museum, that are sometimes very degraded.”

Even the famed Pyramid that forms its main entrance came under attack: “Its design reveals some major shortcomings. On very hot days, the greenhouse effect created by its glass roof makes the space very inhospitable for the public who pass through and for the staff who work there. In addition, the soundproofing of this area remains poor.”

The building saw 8.7 million visitors last year, about twice what it is designed for, and some areas, including the display of Mona Lisa, have become bottlenecks. The Louvre has recently proposed moving that painting to a room of its own.

Macron promised reporters that the work would produce a  “redesigned, restored, expanded Louvre”—all at no expense to French taxpayers, a key point when Macron is under extreme political budget pressure. Instead, he said funds would come from the museum’s “own resources,” including donations, ticket sales, merchandise sales and royalties from use of its name and resources by the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Next year, higher ticket prices for non-EU visitors will kick in as well.

The museum will remain open during the work, although portions may close at times during the work.

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