The Louvre has announced Selldorf Architects, Studios Architecture Paris and Base Paysagiste as the architectural team to design its expansion project.
The team has been announced as the winner of an international design competition launched last summer. It was selected from a shortlist of five competitors, according to the French culture minister, Catherine Pégard.
The project "addresses a significant need for renovation and transformation of the museum", France's culture ministry said in a statement.
"Its aim is to sustainably preserve the Louvre's architectural heritage, better protect and share its collections, and adapt it to the expectations of its visitors," it added.
The expansion includes a new entrance on the eastern end of the Louvre to ease overcrowding and expand the museum's capacity, as well as a dedicated 33,000-square-foot exhibition space for the Mona Lisa.
Additionally, the plan involves refreshing the guest experience with new relaxation areas, restaurants and shops.
Selldorf Architects said the concept was chosen "for the quality of its architectural proposal and its heritage, urban and landscape integration, which fully balances the challenges of upgrading the welcome of the public, clarity of circulation, and new landscape – all with consideration of safety issues".
The project was first announced in January 2025 by French President Emmanuel Macron after the Louvre’s former director Laurence des Cars said the museum was in need of an overhaul.
Visiting the institution had become a “physical ordeal”, with some spaces in “very poor condition”, she wrote in a leaked memo.
The Louvre is designed to welcome around 4 million visitors annually, but hosted 8.7 million people in 2024. To tackle overcrowding, the Louvre has limited daily attendance and raised ticket prices.
The museum has faced a series of setbacks in recent months, starting with the high-profile theft of €88 million worth of jewellery from the institution.
Following the daylight break-in, the museum encountered further issues, including water leaks, a suspected ticket fraud plot, and ceiling safety issues.
In response, staff at the museum have been striking over building maintenance and staffing increases, as well as a rise in ticket prices for most non-EU visitors.
In February, Christophe Leribault was appointed as the new director of the Louvre.
