Opened in December 2012, the Louvre-Lens museum presents a rich collection coming directly from the Louvre Museum. It is located in the heart of the former Nord-Pas de Calais mining area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Immersed in a 20-hectare park, the museum is housed in a highly contemporary glass and aluminum building, designed by the Japanese architects of the SANAA agency.
The heart of the museum is the Galerie du Temps, which houses over 200 works from the collections of the Louvre, covering a time span ranging from ancient art to the present day. Its scenography, both chronological and multidisciplinary, creates a new dialogue between eras, techniques and civilizations. The museum organizes temporary exhibitions of international level every year that welcome works from all over the world.
Furthermore, url museo aims to show the public the "behind the scenes" life of the works: various digital tools show the technical background of the works, otherwise not visible, while the warehouses and the restoration laboratory are visible through large windows and also open for guided tours.
