The iconic Louvre museum in Paris is set to undergo a major overhaul, in an effort to shake off its elite image, and be less intimidating to guests. The transformation of the museum is set to happen within the next four years, in time for the Paris Olympics.
The Louvre is the world’s most visited museum currently, but plans are in place to completely change the way the collections are presented and explained. The museum director, Jean-Luc Martinez told reporters “we need to be ready in 2023/2024 for the Olympic Games, with longer hours and more rooms open.”
In order to counter its elitist image, the museum is striving for a “cultural democratisation”, making its treasures more accessible through improvements in presentation, labelling and curating. Jean-Luc is aware that the museum can intimidate certain demographics, and the museum needs to reassure people that its collections are for everybody.
The website for the museum is also set to receive an overhaul in the next year. Jean-Luc has said that “all collections will be going online.” As it stands, visitors under 26 can access the louvre for free, although this year a 20-minute mini-visit has been introduced, to help bring Parisians back to the attraction.
The museum has reportedly lost more than 40 million euros during the coronavirus pandemic, after being shut for the last 3 months. The museum reopened on Monday, following the lifting of restrictions. Strict social distancing measures are in place, meaning crowds won’t be able to gather around the world-famous works of art. Visitors will instead be able to book a time slot online, and when inside will have access to hand sanitiser stations.
Jean-Luc has predicted a slow three years to follow, “We are going to be at best 20 to 30 per cent down on last summer — between 4,000 and 10,000 visitors a day,” he estimated. Although footfall is down, website traffic is said to have increased tenfold.
