Gilles Bloch: "The Museum needs 1.1 billion euros"

Gilles Bloch, president of the Muséum national d’histoire naturelle in Paris, has issued an urgent call for €1.1 billion in funding to address the critical state of the institution's infrastructure. Ahead of its 400th anniversary in 2026, a diagnostic report reveals that 74% of the museum's 120 buildings are in poor condition, with several galleries currently closed to the public or suffering from inadequate climate control. The requested funds would cover €500 million in emergency repairs to stabilize decaying structures and a further €600 million for long-term modernization and energy efficiency upgrades.

This funding crisis highlights the severe maintenance backlog facing France's historic scientific and cultural institutions. While the museum currently invests roughly €20 million annually, Bloch argues that a minimum of €30 million per year is required just to maintain a steady pace of renovation. The situation threatens not only public access to landmark sites like the Gallery of Paleontology but also the preservation of irreplaceable scientific collections that are currently stored in substandard conditions.