Forty years after its inauguration, the Musée d’Orsay is embarking on a major renovation aimed at improving public access, increasing the energy efficiency of its exterior facilities, and upgrading the building complex. The project, directed by chief architect of historical monuments Marie-Suzanne de Ponthaud, aims to put restoration and enhancement of the architectural heritage at the center. The intervention focuses first on solving the waterproofing problems of the esplanade located in front of the museum, a space traversed daily by all visitors. In addition, the work will improve the energy performance of the canopy, which is also a protected historical monument. In this way, the project fits into the framework of the environmental goals the institution has set for itself.
The renovation is also an opportunity to rethink the system for welcoming the public. Indeed, the museum is a dynamic space, animated both by visitors and the staff working there. The institution’s intent is not to increase the number of admissions, but to provide better visiting conditions. Thus, the main goal is to improve the experience of the approximately 3.7 million visitors who enter the museum each year, while facilitating access to the collections. Following extensive studies of audience flows, the decision was made to separate the entry and exit routes. As a result, the museum’s in-house architects redesigned the spaces for sales, ticketing, reception, and the bookshop/gift shop, which will be reorganized and in some cases relocated. This new arrangement is also designed to improve working conditions for museum staff.
Architecturally, the project aims to strike a balance between the preservation of the historical heritage and the needs of the contemporary. The same principle, also applied to the interior spaces, makes it possible to restore the original volumes of the station while maintaining the legacy of the interventions carried out in the 1980s. This continuity is manifested, for example, in the restoration of the work by Guy de Rougemont located on the station forecourt and in the design of a new line of furniture, such as the reception desk, store and ticket office, conceived to create a dialogue between the architecture of the 1900s and the design language developed by ACT-Architecture, architects Bardon, Colboc and Philippon, and Gae Aulenti during the transformation of the railway station into a museum.
The implementation of this extensive work will take about two and a half years and will be carried out while the museum continues to be open to the public. Despite some changes in access due to the construction site, visitors will still be able to access the permanent collections, temporary exhibitions and cultural activities.
Throughout the entire construction period, from March 10, 2026 until the summer of 2028, the Musée d’Orsay will remain open following its usual hours, although there will be some changes in how visitors enter.
The resurfacing of the square will involve the creation of a temporary entrance on the Seine side reserved for ticketed visitors. Organized lines will be set up on the sidewalk, which will be secured, to manage the influx. A temporary exit will be created on the Quai Valéry Giscard d’Estaing side instead. Throughout the duration of the work, advance reservations are strongly recommended.
Entrance from Quai Valéry Giscard d’Estaing: visitors with a scheduled time slot ticket and Paris Museum Pass holders with a time slot voucher (from March 10, 2026, time slot reservation will be mandatory)
Entrance from the forecourt: visitors with priority access, visitors with tickets without a time slot, visitors without a ticket (including Paris Museum Pass holders without a reservation), groups (with mandatory reservation), people with reduced mobility: entrance 2 from the museum forecourt, visitors with luggage: entrance 2 from the museum forecourt, access to museum events and activities: entrance 2 from the museum forecourt.
The renovation project and the redesign of the museum’s reception spaces are supported by Louis Vuitton.
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| From March 10, 2026, the Musée d'Orsay gets a makeover, with a two-and-a-half-year restoration project |
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