The Louvre Museum has been dealt another blow with its temporary closure of the Campana Gallery due to structural weaknesses in the building's beams. The gallery, which showcases ancient Greek ceramics and houses nine rooms, will remain shut until further investigations can take place into "certain beams supporting the floors of the second floor" above it.
This unexpected development comes at a time when the museum is still reeling from a recent $102 million jewellery heist in broad daylight. The incident occurred just last month, leaving visitors stunned as thieves used an extendable ladder and angle grinders to make off with valuable items.
The Louvre's top administrator had previously warned about conditions inside the former royal palace, citing "a proliferation of damage" in museum spaces, some of which are in poor condition. Areas were found to be "no longer watertight," while others experienced significant temperature variations, posing a threat to the preservation of art works.
The Campana Gallery is located on the first floor and was identified as having structural issues after an audit revealed problems with its beams. The area is currently used as office space, where 65 staff members are being temporarily relocated during the investigations.
As a precautionary measure, the gallery will be closed to the public until further notice, adding another layer of stress to an institution that has faced severe criticism over its security shortcomings in recent times.
This unexpected development comes at a time when the museum is still reeling from a recent $102 million jewellery heist in broad daylight. The incident occurred just last month, leaving visitors stunned as thieves used an extendable ladder and angle grinders to make off with valuable items.
The Louvre's top administrator had previously warned about conditions inside the former royal palace, citing "a proliferation of damage" in museum spaces, some of which are in poor condition. Areas were found to be "no longer watertight," while others experienced significant temperature variations, posing a threat to the preservation of art works.
The Campana Gallery is located on the first floor and was identified as having structural issues after an audit revealed problems with its beams. The area is currently used as office space, where 65 staff members are being temporarily relocated during the investigations.
As a precautionary measure, the gallery will be closed to the public until further notice, adding another layer of stress to an institution that has faced severe criticism over its security shortcomings in recent times.
. First, they steal a ton of valuable jewelry and then they shut down one of the galleries... what's next? I mean, I get it, safety first and all that, but come on, Louvre! You're already taking heat for your security issues... now you're giving me more to worry about when I try to visit. Structural weaknesses? That's just not good. Hopefully, they can fix this ASAP so we can go back to admiring those ancient Greek ceramics without worrying about the building falling apart 
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I feel for the staff & visitors tho, gotta wonder how many ppl have already seen that gallery. structural issues sound super serious, hope they find out what's goin on ASAP so we can get back to admiring the ancient Greek ceramics 
like what's next gonna get taken away from us? museums are supposed to be places where we can escape into history and beauty but it sounds like even those are vulnerable to our own mistakes 
. it's not just the art that's being damaged, it's also the trust we put in institutions to protect it. maybe this is a chance for us to take a closer look at how we're preserving our cultural heritage and if there are any 'beams' (or systems) that need some TLC 
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. And can you imagine walking into a gallery and seeing all that damage from temperature variations? Not exactly what you'd expect when visiting one of the world's most famous museums 
. It's got me wondering, how much more can this place take before it starts to fall apart? 
The good news is they're taking precautions, but at what cost? It's gonna be a tough few months for the Louvre... 
Anyways, i feel bad 4 da staff & visitors who are gonna b affected by dis closure. I mean, cant they jus fix da beams or somethin? 
it's like dey r always one step behind 
. And ain't da security issues already a big deal? 
how much more stress can dey handle? 
this is like something out of a movie! I mean, who needs security cameras when you have thieves with extendable ladders and angle grinders? 
. i'm so worried about those artworks being damaged or stolen 
. can't they just do something to prevent these incidents?! 
i mean, can't they just get their act together already?! 
at least they're acknowledging the problem now, but still, 65 staff members having to relocate is no joke... poor guys 