Lalumiere architect set to redesign the Louvre
PARIS – The world famous museum and historic monument the Louvre will be renovating its iconic design with none other than the architect of Marquette’s own Lalumiere Language Hall. Lalumiere’s design has been praised by architects and students alike for years, and now the largest museum in the world will be adapting its style.
“We are always looking for ways to redevelop and improve our gallery spaces,” said Museum President Jean-Luc Martinez. “In 1989, we doubled our exhibition areas with the ‘Grand Louvre’ project, but today we host nearly ten million visitors a year! Numbers like that demand much greater changes.”
After months of polling visitors, holding focus groups, and talking to experts, the museum’s Board of Directors had found their answer. “An overwhelming majority of people we talked agreed that there was one thing we were missing,” Martinez said. “Concrete ovals.”
It did not take the Board of Directors long to discover that Lalumiere Language Hall was everything they were looking for. The board contacted the original designer of the building and began planning what would be the museum’s largest renovation project in recent history.
“We will need to get the look and feel of it just right,” said Martinez. “Everything from the artfully uneven placement of windows to the chiaroscuro of the poorly-lit hallways.”
Construction will begin this summer starting with the Grand Louvre Pyramids and then moving to the Louvre Palace. The project is expected to be completed in fall of 2017, but certain exhibits will remain open throughout.
“The Louvre is truly a universal museum, both in terms of its collections and the diversity of its visitors.” Martinez went on. “What better way to celebrate such diversity than using a building full of different departments that are too small to have their own space!”
Photo by Ian Schrank.
