The world’s most visited museum has made the wise decision to move the world’s most famous painting to a separate wing, where clamoring hordes pushing for a glimpse can stay separate from the rest of the art-loving public.
In a statement announcing major structural changes to the Louvre in Paris, administrators revealed that the Mona Lisa will have her own 33,000 square-foot exhibition space.
It means that people looking to see the famous Giocanda will not necessarily have to pass through or even visit the rest of the Louvre. They will be spared the extra time waiting in line, and can get in, take their selfies, and get out.
Meanwhile, those who wish to see the hundreds of thousands of other pieces among the galleries, will be spared the extra waiting time in line from those queuing only for the purpose of seeing the Mona Lisa.
It’s a superb compromise, and one that will also come with a $1 billion renovation aimed at reducing congestion all over the Louvre and modernizing the massive building’s infrastructure.
The Mona Lisa attracts roughly 20,000 admirers alone, day in and day out, and it’s not uncommon for visitors to leave feeling a sense of uneasiness and claustrophobia in the crush that pushes as much as polite society can handle to get close enough for a glimpse of the rather small portrait.
“Every day, this very room is the scene of intense agitation,” Laurence des Cars, the museum’s former director, said at the press conference announcing the renovations.
The Louvre has been a source of several high-profile failures, including the heist of the French crown jewels and an earlier water leak that damaged some 400 artworks.
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Selldorf Architects, a New York-based firm, was offered the contract out of 5 finalists whose designs and submissions were picked from a pool of 100 firms. Selldorf will partner with Studios Architecture Paris on the project which is centered around the expansion of the Grande Colonnade, the museum’s eastern facade, which was built in the 17th century in the classical tradition.
The contest-winning design addresses existing challenges to foot traffic by adding two new underground entrances, new, separate dining areas and gift shops, as well as expanded gallery space.
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“New pathways and greenery connecting the museum with the rest of Paris aim to solve the museum’s growing foot traffic problem by accommodating an estimated three million more visitors per year,” Smithsonian reports.
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