The Louvre suspends indefinitely the competition for its expansion project announced in June 2025

The Louvre has suspended indefinitely the competition for the museum's expansion project, announced in June 2025. The decision was taken less than a week before the jury was due to vote on the winner.

The Louvre - Nouvelle Renaissance project, announced by Macron in January 2025, was meant to relieve the museum of the pressure of visitor numbers. Completion was planned for 2031, with the budget estimated at nearly $780 million. The plans provided for reconstructing the entrance area, modernising the museum's infrastructure and creating a separate exhibition space for the Mona Lisa.

The competition jury had earlier shortlisted five architectural practices, but, according to the participants, the museum lacked the time for a proper technical and architectural assessment of the proposals. No new date has been named for the announcement of the results.

The postponement comes against the background of an internal crisis at the museum: the Louvre's staff have spoken out against the project, insisting that repairs and the technical safety of the building should take priority