Louvre-lens

About

Conceived in 2003, the Louvre’s northern outpost was inspired by the museum’s original mission - to serve the nation’s artistic and cultural needs. The northern mining town of Lens was chosen for its easy of accessibility to visitors from Belgium, the Netherlands, and Great Britain, as well as the provincial population. The SANAA agency designed a modern structure, built atop an the old coal mine, that uses transparent features whenever possible to make the most of the museum’s 49 acres. The centerpiece is the 120m-long Galerie du Temps, where over 200 masterpieces carefully chosen from and loaned from the Louvre, are displayed in chronological order- from the dawn of civilization to the mid-1800s. For more information, and to check opening hours, please visit https://www.louvrelens.fr/en/