"For years, the Louvre has been struggling with a combination of old, weathered infrastructure and increased foot traffic brought about by mass tourism. But in 2025, the museum has been hit by the full consequences of operating out of a relatively un-updated building to house some of the world's most influential (and valuable) art. Here's everything you need to know about the Louvre's horrible, no good, very bad year."
"Near the end of January, a private document, written by museum director Laurence des Cars for the French culture minister Rachida Dati, was leaked to the media. In it, des Cars described a museum struggling to accommodate its daily influx of visitors and protect its artwork due to deteriorating spaces, lack of crowd flow measures, and poor environmental controls. "Visiting the Louvre is a physical ordeal; accessing the artworks takes time and is not always easy," des Cars wrote."
A water leak on November 26 damaged between 300 and 400 historical books in the Egyptology and scientific documentation section. On December 8, museum workers voted to initiate a strike over poor working conditions. Longstanding problems include aging, weathered infrastructure and overwhelming visitor numbers driven by mass tourism. A leaked January document from director Laurence des Cars warned of deteriorating spaces, poor environmental controls, and inadequate crowd-flow measures. Renovation plans announced include a new Seine entrance, a stand-alone Mona Lisa room, and new underground rooms, with changes slated to begin in 2026 and last about a decade.
Read at Fast Company
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