Louvre Lens Sanaa - Architecture - Lens - Hauts-de-France (c) Louvre-Lens

The Louvre at Lens

The Louvre-Lens museum, art in all its splendour!

Come and discover 5,000 years of history at the Louvre-Lens museum! Built over a former mine shaft, this contemporary-style building, by the Japanese firm Sanaa, is a real architectural feat. Opened in 2012, this light-filled museum is now renowned throughout the world. A building and its exceptional collections to be discovered without further delay!

The Time Gallery, a unique place

Louvre-Lens - Museum - Lens - Northern France

The main wing of the Louvre-Lens Museum houses the Galerie du temps, a space almost 120 metres long, completely open, which allows you to follow over 5,000 years of history, from the 3rd millennium BC in Mesopotamia to the French School of the 19th century.

Here, there is no separation between eras and cultural trends… More than 200 works are arranged chronologically and lit by an ingenious ceiling made of steel slats that filter the light. Shadows and reflections are thus suppressed, allowing the pieces on display to be revealed in all their beauty!

The temporary exhibition gallery

The Louvre-Lens Museum is also home to two major international exhibitions each year. The second wing of the museum, a 1700 m2 gallery, regularly showcases rare pieces, on loan from the Louvre Museum and many other renowned institutions around the world. Rubens’ Europe, The Etruscans and the Mediterranean, Animals and Pharaohs, The Le Nain Mystery and Music, Echoes of Antiquity are some of the many themes presented since the opening of the Louvre-Lens. Finally, discover the Glass Pavilion, where exhibitions highlight the treasures of the Hauts-de-France region!

Louvre-Lens Museum, exhibitions, art, paintings, sculptures, Lens, Northern France

The Louvre-Lens, a museum to experience

Beyond the museum, the Louvre-Lens claims to be a cultural city, as it offers visitors a true artistic experience. Shows, concerts and summer events allow visitors to make the place their own and vibrate to the rhythm of culture!