The astonishing mediocrity of the selected design for the “Grand Colonnade” of the Louvre

A self-congratulatory, dithyrambic press release: « major breakthrough », « highly qualified jury », « high level of the submissions », « elegant », « respectful », « sensitive », « harmonious »…), written in the now fashionable, now standard newspeak (« greening », « calmed », « cool island », « let it breathe »…) was, unsurprisingly, issued by the Ministry of Culture regarding the designation of the winning team (STUDIOS Architecture Paris and Selldorf Architects) in the competition for the “Grande Colonnade” project. One might almost think it had been written by artificial intelligence.

The President of the Republic and the Ministry of Culture thus demonstrate their contempt both for parliamentary representation [1] and for the Cour des Comptes, which showed that this project was unfunded and therefore seriously threatened the necessary refurbishment of the Louvre.
On the substance of the matter, neither this institution nor the National Assembly takes a position, but we have shown in our various articles that the three issues it seeks to address (the Mona Lisa, exhibition spaces, and additional entrances) could be handled in a far more economical way and with far less aggression towards the monument and the museum.

To assess this architectural project affecting, in the very heart of Paris, one of its most emblematic monuments, only three exterior visuals have been released [2] (ill. 1 to 3)! Images that may, at first glance, be misleading, as they are enhanced with effects (night views, façade lighting on a daytime image, etc.) which further distort the impression one may take from them.