A display founded on two basic principles

Unlike most museums, the Louvre-Lens will not have a collection of its own. The Louvre will loan objects from its collections, for varying lengths of time.
The presentation of the artworks at the Lens museum will be based on two founding principles:
- collections presented in cross-disciplinary exhibitions that break down the usual boundaries between techniques, schools, or departments;
- works exhibited for varying lengths of time, but always temporarily, which will facilitate the loan of major works and keep public interest alive.

Artworks from the eight departments exhibited together

The objects on display at the Louvre-Lens will come from the Louvre's eight departments (Near Eastern Antiquities, Egyptian Antiquities, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities, Islamic Art, Decorative Arts, Prints and Drawings, Sculptures, and Paintings). They will represent every period and technique covered by the Paris museum (namely, from the 4th millennium BC to 1850), and will be presented in cross-disciplinary displays, most often chronologically. Exhibitions at the Louvre-Lens will thus not be restricted by the compartmentalization that exists at the Louvre in Paris because of the history of the institution and its collections.

The "Galerie du Temps": a new way to explore the Louvre's collections

When the Louvre-Lens opens, it will display some three hundred artworks in a space 120 meters long with a surface area of over 2,000 m², called the "Galerie du temps." (the Time Gallery) This exhibition space will contain masterpieces from every department in the Louvre, and will be a one-of-a-kind gallery, designed to present a single stream of artworks that will be a source of discovery, knowledge, and wonder for visitors. The strictly chronological presentation will illustrate and reflect the history of the empires of the Middle East, Egypt, Greece, Rome, and finally of Islam and Europe.

The "Pavillon de Verre": for greater insight

Visitors will progress from the "Galerie du Temps" to the "Pavillon de Verre" (the Glass Pavilion)—a glass pavilion that will introduce a new perspective on the artworks. A different theme will be treated every year, to explore issues raised by the "Galerie du Temps" in greater detail. The introduction of other objects and of contemporary artworks will bring visitors to a deeper understanding not only of the history of art and civilizations, but also of the relationship between the museum and the objects it displays.

Two major temporary exhibitions a year

The Louvre-Lens will also host a winter and summer temporary exhibition every year in a dedicated space of over 1,800 m². These exhibitions will be designed to attract a wide regional, national, and international public.
The inaugural exhibition will be devoted to the Renaissance.
These exhibitions will be scheduled to harmonize with those at the Louvre in Paris and in the museums of the Nord-Pas de Calais region.