The Louvre has temporarily closed employee offices and the Campana Gallery in the southern Sully wing due to structural concerns identified in a November 14 building assessment report, which warned of fragile floor beams. The closure affects 65 staff members and a nine-room gallery of ancient Greek ceramics. The museum has launched an investigation and plans repairs, following a year of challenges including a staff walkout in June and a dramatic theft of imperial jewels from the Gallery of Apollo in October.
This closure underscores the urgent infrastructure crisis at the world’s most visited museum, which is already undergoing a massive €800 million renovation project called “Louvre – New Renaissance” announced by President Macron. The structural issues add to a broader narrative of institutional strain—from understaffing and overcrowding to security failures—highlighting the tension between the Louvre’s global prestige and the physical decay of its historic building, which directly threatens both visitor experience and art conservation.