The renovation work at the Opéra Bastille in Paris, October 30, 2025. JPL/REA
This is the life cycle of cultural sites: Thirty to 50 years after their creation, they start to show serious signs of wear – and often all at once. That is true of ancient heritage sites, which buckle under the weight of their age and the effects of climate change, as well as of more recent buildings that have fallen into disrepair. One day, the Centre Pompidou embarks on a €463 million facelift. Then, the Louvre unveils an ambitious project, "Nouvelle Renaissance," with a staggering budget of over €1 billion. The latest example is the Opéra de Paris, which is preparing to renovate both its Garnier and Bastille sites for €450 million. It is as if austerity measures were a thing of the past, as if the word "restraint" had vanished from the vocabulary.
Other colossal projects are awaiting the green light from the Ministry of Culture, such as the rehabilitation of the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie, whose estimated €1.4 billion price tag is dizzying. There is also the urgent restoration of Paris' Ecole des Beaux-Arts, which is expected to cost at least €100 million.
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