The Louvre Museum in Paris has announced an architectural competition for a €400 million ($417 million) expansion, which includes a dedicated underground gallery for Leonardo da Vinci's *Mona Lisa* and a new entrance on the eastern facade near the Seine River. The project, dubbed a "New Renaissance" for the Louvre, follows a staff strike over overcrowding and an internal memo from director Laurence des Cars citing crumbling infrastructure. A 21-person international jury will select the winning design in October, with the aim of easing congestion at I.M. Pei's iconic glass pyramid entrance and providing a separate timed-entry space for the *Mona Lisa*.
This expansion matters because the Louvre, the world's most visited and largest museum, has struggled with nearly 9 million annual visitors, leading to staff protests and concerns over the safety of its collection. The dedicated *Mona Lisa* room aims to improve visitor experience and offer historical context, while the new entrance and increased capacity (targeting 12 million visitors per year) reflect French President Emmanuel Macron's push to modernize the institution. The project, funded by admission fees and sponsorships, also signals a broader trend of major museums investing in infrastructure to manage record tourism and preserve cultural heritage.