The Louvre has temporarily closed its Campana Gallery after an internal audit uncovered structural concerns in beams supporting the floor above the space.
The gallery, which showcases ancient Greek ceramics, will remain shut while engineers investigate “certain beams supporting the floors of the second floor,” the museum confirmed.
The second-floor area, currently used as office space, is being cleared, with 65 staff relocated.
The closure is unrelated to last month’s dramatic robbery in which a four-person gang used ladders and angle grinders to steal jewellery worth an estimated $102 million, but it adds to scrutiny of the museum’s condition and security.
Earlier this year, Louvre director Laurence des Cars warned of a “proliferation of damage in museum spaces, some of which are in very poor condition,” noting that some areas were no longer watertight and faced major temperature fluctuations that “endanger the preservation of artworks.”
The museum said the Campana Gallery will remain closed “as a precautionary measure” while assessments continue.
Source: yahoo.com
