The choice of architectural firm for the Louvre's redesign has been postponed indefinitely

The appointment of the architectural firm that will be in charge of the vast redevelopment project of the Louvre, including a new room for the Mona Lisa, has been postponed indefinitely, the museum announced on Thursday, February 12.

Estimated at 660 million euros, this redevelopment of the East wing of the museum is one of the components of the "Louvre-New Renaissance" project announced in January 2025 by President Emmanuel Macron, which also includes a renovation plan for the building.

In total, the presidential project was assessed by the Court of Auditors at 1,15 billion euros.

After the pre-selection in October of five firms competing for the redevelopment component, named "Louvre-Grande Colonnade", the winner was to be announced on Wednesday, February 11, but the jury's decision was postponed without a new date being communicated.

"The quality and richness of the proposals received in the context of the international architecture competition call for taking all the necessary time for analysis. It has therefore been decided to postpone the session of the next jury, in order to best inform the discussions that will lead to the designation of the winner," a spokesperson for the Louvre told AFP, confirming press reports.

According to sources close to the matter, the postponement could also be linked to the social conflict that has been affecting the Louvre since mid-December and to the imminent succession at the Ministry of Culture, which Rachida Dati must soon leave to run for mayor of Paris.

None of the architectural firms vying for the contract responded to requests for comment from AFP.

Opposed by the unions, the "Louvre-New Renaissance" project is being championed by management, who see it as a way to address the outdated state of the museum's equipment, particularly highlighted by the spectacular burglary of October 19.

When announcing this project in early 2025, Emmanuel Macron had hoped that "the new facilities could be inaugurated by 2031 at the latest".

However, in November, the Court of Auditors judged the project's financing plan to be "fragile, to say the least".

"The Louvre-New Renaissance is a project of paramount importance for the future of the museum," the institution's spokesperson reaffirmed to AFP on Thursday, assuring that the teams remained "mobilized."