The world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris will undergo significant renovations as part of President Emmanuel Macron’s ‘Louvre New Renaissance’ project.
The changes are estimated to cost between €700-800 million (R13,5-R15,5bn) and aim to modernise the overcrowded and ageing institution while providing Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic Mona Lisa with a dedicated exhibition space, reports the Associated Press.
Macron said the museum's expansion would allow the Mona Lisa to be moved to a new, dedicated room, which visitors would be able to access with a special ticket.
He added that this would simplify the visit for those who only want to see the painting and enhance the experience of other visitors in the rest of the museum.
At present, the painting is displayed behind protective glass in the museum’s Salle des États, where visitors often spend mere seconds viewing it amidst a noisy and congested environment.
The renovation project will also include a wide new entrance near the River Seine, to be opened by 2031.
Further renovations will be undertaken to modernise the infrastructure and provide new toilet, restaurant and rest facilities, according to the BBC.
This will relieve pressure from the Louvre’s current single access point beneath the glass pyramid, originally designed for four million visitors a year but now accommodating more than nine million annually.
Macron added that a price hike was on the horizon for non-EU visitors, who will soon pay more than the current €22 (R430) entry fee.
The Louvre’s last overhaul was in the 1980s, when the iconic glass pyramid was unveiled.
