Louvre Renovation Jury to Meet May 13 as $778 Million Plan Advances
The Louvre Museum’s long-delayed renovation is finally approaching a decisive moment. According to Le Figaro, the jury charged with selecting the architects for the project is expected to meet on May 13, reviewing five shortlisted proposals for a sweeping modernization backed by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The meeting would formally move forward a plan first announced by Macron in January 2025 and now valued at $778 million. The project is intended to ease congestion at the Paris museum, which receives about 9 million visitors each year, while also addressing aging infrastructure. Proposed changes include a new entrance, new galleries, a new lobby, and a 33,000-square-foot exhibition space for the Mona Lisa.
The shortlist includes Amanda Levete Architects, architecturestudio, Dubuisson Architecture, Sou Fujimoto, and STUDIOS Architecture. The 21-person jury is chaired by Marc Guillaume, prefect of Paris, and brings together civil servants, architects, and museum professionals, among them Anne Démians, Bernard Desmoulin, Lina Ghotmeh, Neil MacGregor, and Sam Keller.
The process has been repeatedly complicated by internal strain at the museum. In January, about 350 staff members staged a walkout, arguing that the institution should prioritize long-overdue maintenance and technical upgrades over plans to relocate the Mona Lisa to a dedicated gallery. That protest followed a leaked memo from Laurence des Cars in January 2025 that described structural damage, water leaks, and overcrowding inside the museum.
The renovation has also unfolded against the backdrop of leadership upheaval after the October theft of crown jewels, a heist that ultimately prompted Des Cars’s resignation. Christophe Leribault, the museum’s newly ascendant president, and Culture Minister Catherine Pégard reportedly visited the Préfecture de Paris et d’Île-de-France last week, where the models are on view for evaluation.
What the winning design will look like remains uncertain. Pégard has said that some elements may be reworked or adjusted, while others will be reinforced. Macron has framed the initiative as a “New Louvre” meant to be completed by 2031, though that timeline has already drawn skepticism. For now, the May 13 meeting appears to be the clearest sign yet that the project is moving from political ambition toward architectural reality.
