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The
most important art institution in Paris is beginning a major period of
modernization. A new architectural project, renovations, multimedia
guides, accessibility for all... Until 2020, a large number of
construction projects will transform the Louvre into a cutting-edge
museum. (2008-04-02) |
 A new architectural project |
| The Cour Visconti, located on the Seine
side, will house the new Department of Islamic Art. Designed along the
lines of Pei’s pyramid, this space was conceived by the architects
Mario Bellini and Rudy Ricciotti, who won the museum’s competition for
the project in July 2005. This very contemporary design will be covered
with a glass roof which floats above the exhibition halls. |
The Department of Islamic Art |
Built on two levels, this new space,
entirely dedicated to Islamic Art, will house works from the 8th and
9th centuries on the courtyard level along with a space which examines
writings, while collections dating up to the 18th century will be
displayed on the lower level.
In the end, more than 2,000 objects covering over than 1,300 years of
history on three continents will be on display.
Born from Jacques Chirac’s wish to “reinforce” the Louvre’s “universal
calling”, this project reflects the museum’s will to extend its
influence. |
The pyramid project |
Since 2001, the Louvre has seen its number
of visitors increase by 60%. Pei’s Pyramid, which was initially
designed to receive 4.5 million visitors each year, welcomed 8.3
million in 2007. Therefore, a renovation of the entrance hall is
planned in order to optimize the museum’s capacity. Aside from creating
23 docking stations, an architectural component will allow the
liberation of space beneath the Pyramid.
Furthermore, the Sully pavilion will house a chronological route
through more than 2,000 m² of galleries, allowing the public to
discover the museum’s history and its architectural development across
the centuries. |
New multimedia guides |
To help visitors find their way in this
enormous museum and to better explain the works, the Louvre has
installed multimedia guides with interactive content. Available in
eight languages - French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese,
Korean and sign language, they allow visitors to orient themselves in
the museum and discover the collections, thanks to commentary recorded
by the museum curators themselves.
GUiGuides may be rented by visitors during the museum’s operating hours
every day from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm except Tuesdays, and until 10:00 pm
on Wednesdays and Fridays, at a rate of €6 for adults, €4 reduced rate
and €2 for visitors under the age of 18. |
Korean Airlines guide |
Produced by Korean Airlines, this new
guide cost one million euros to produce. It is a veritable personal
computer, as portable as a hand-held video game.
To select a program and preferences, the visitor simply presses the
colour screen with an attached stylus. It offers a wide range of
options: nine different routes including a “discovery” tour, a
children’s route and one for disabled visitors, along with those
devoted to the Italian collection, the French collection, a history of
the palace and a “masterpiece” route.
Beginning in 2009, six new tour options will be available to the
public, and a GPS installation will help visitors find their way
themselves on the map. |
|
The Flore pavilion |
A final device, conceived by the
museum’s director Henri Loyrette to
help visitors better understand this enormous institution, will be
installed in the Flore pavilion.
Considered a genuine watchtower
with a view of the Tuileries and the Seine, this 2,000 m² space will be
entirely devoted to education. Entitled “understand the museum”, this
new permanent exhibition will offer the public digital devices and
multimedia activities displaying the museum’s various routes along with
its many nooks and crannies. |
|
Improved accessibility |
In planning its modernization, the
Louvre took to heart the need for
disabled visitors to have access to all exhibition halls and
collections. Viewed asView a way to integrate the disabled into the
city’s life and especially its culture, this policy is referred to as
“Tourism and Disability”
Besides improved accessibility, from now
on some exhibitions will be regularly displayed in the tactile gallery
accessible to the visually impaired. Mouldings allow visitors to
discover a selection of sculptures. TheseThese mouldings are also made
available to children to introduce them to the arts. |
|
Highlighting the collections |
The museum is also renovating three
different spaces in order to highlight certain collections.
The
first space, housing 18th century furniture, was generally forgotten
among all of the great Louvre’s works. This area will be modernized and
brought up to standards
The Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities
will be reorganized into a new tour, and the Cour du Sphinx will be
completely renovated.
Finally, five new halls in the Sully wing
housing French and English paintings from the 17th to the 19th century
will be rearranged and better connected to the rest of the museum
thanks to new bridges. |
|
New vegetation in the Tuileries |
The Tuileries garden, included part
of the museum’s public institutions
since 2005, will also benefit from renovation work which will unfold in
several phases. The statues will be cleaned and restored along with the
garden structures.
Contemporary works will be continuously or
temporarily housed here to enliven the new signposting and the park’s
modernization. Finally, new vegetation will be planted throughout the
26 hectares of green space to recreate a genuine French-style garden,
lush and colourful, as initially designed by Le Nôtre. |
|
A common central repository |
A final critical project for the
Louvre’s curators as well as for the Minister of Culture and other
museums along the banks of the Seine is the creation of a central
repository. Indeed, the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, the Orangerie, the
National School of Fine Arts and the Museum of Decorative Arts fear a
new hundred year flood which would damage their repositories.
The last flood occurred in 1910, so the need is urgent. However, the
curators insist on doing things on the square. They aim to find a space
with more than 50,000 m² which can bring together all off-exhibit works
and also serve as a research and restoration centre where certain
curators from the museums can work. |
|
The Louvre’s modernisation |
The current and future work to
achieve the vast “Louvre 2020” project involves a variety of phases and
locations. While some are spectacular, such as the creation of a new
Islamic Art department in Cour Visconti, others which may go unnoticed
are fundamental to the modernization and development of a museum of
this calibre.
In this way, opening its facilities to disabled persons and
implementing a multimedia guide demonstrates the Louvre’s constant
effort to perpetually renew itself.
More than ever at the centre of cultural initiatives, the Louvre wants
to expand its influence and develop two annexes: one in Lens and the
other in Abu Dhabi.
Born from decentralization and cultural democratization policies, the
Louvre-Lens project will allow the museum’s works to be displayed in
Nord Pas-de-Calais.
The contract for the future museum was won by a Japanese team following
an international architecture competition launched in 2005.
The annex is expected to open in 2010.
For more information, please see www.louvre.fr
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Museums Guide
Discover this new convenient new service which lists more than 280
museums throughout France and presents 3,575 works in more than 7,000
photos.
The guide /http://www.linternaute.com/musee/ |
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