Two of Japan’s most internationally acclaimed architecture firms — SANAA (an acronym for Sejima and Nishizawa and Associates) and Sou Fujimoto Architects — have been shortlisted for a historic redesign of the Louvre Museum in Paris. The ambitious redevelopment, titled Louvre – Nouvelle Renaissance, was announced earlier this year by French President Emmanuel Macron and marks the museum’s most significant transformation since I. M. Pei’s iconic glass pyramid in the 1980s.
While world headlines have recently been captivated by the audacious heist at the museum, these architects are focused on a different kind of bold move — reimagining one of the world’s most iconic cultural landmarks for the next century.
The Louvre – Nouvelle Renaissance Project
The competition, which launched in June, drew over 100 submissions from around the world. Following review by a technical commission and an international jury chaired by Marc Guillaume, five multidisciplinary teams were selected to advance to the second stage. Among them, Dubuisson Architecture with SANAA, and Sou Fujimoto Atelier Paris with Sou Fujimoto Architects, lead two of the most anticipated proposals.
The Nouvelle Renaissance project envisions a comprehensive transformation of the Louvre, covering architectural, urban and landscape interventions as well as digital and environmental upgrades. Key plans include easing congestion beneath Pei’s pyramid with new entrances, creating a dedicated gallery for the Mona Lisa and enhancing visitor circulation and experience. With over 12 million annual visitors, the renovation aims not only to preserve the museum’s heritage but to prepare the world’s most visited museum for the next century.
For the teams, responsibilities are carefully divided: Dubuisson Architecture and SANAA will oversee scenography, museography and urban planning, with Dan Pearson Studio managing landscape design. Sou Fujimoto Atelier Paris, in collaboration with Sou Fujimoto Architects, will work with Ducks Scéno for scenography and museography, while Vogt Paysage leads the landscape and urban planning efforts.
SANAA and Sou Fujimoto Architects
Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa — the Pritzker Prize-winning founders of SANAA — are known for their minimalist designs and light-filled spaces, with notable works including the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, the Louvre-Lens Museum in northern France and the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York. The company’s approach promises a thoughtful balance between the Louvre’s historic grandeur and understated modern refinement.
Sou Fujimoto Architects, another leading contemporary Japanese firm, is celebrated for its poetic interplay between nature and architecture. Highlights of Fujimoto’s work include the L’Arbre Blanc residential tower in Montpellier, as well as the Naoshima Pavilion in Kagawa Prefecture and House NA in Tokyo, which showcase conceptual boldness and sensitivity to context.
