The Louvre museum in Lens

Lens is situated in the heart of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais mining basin. Now that the mines have closed, the question is what can be done to revitalise the city ? It is only thirty kilometres from Lille, which is currently enjoying economic regeneration in contrast to Lens. Following the example of Bilbao's revival which was greatly boosted by the construction of the Guggenheim museum there, Daniel Percheron seized the opportunity to create a regional branch of the Paris Louvre museum in Lens, and promised financial backing from the Nord-Pas-de-Calais regional council. Rather than borrowing from the permanent collections of the Paris Louvre, this project involves building a new 'Louvre museum' outside Paris. The aim is to enhance the museum as a 21st century encyclopaedic showpiece with a cultural, educational, social and civic role. After its expected opening in 2012, the 'Louvre-Lens' should attract hundreds of thousands of visitors and enable Lens to forge itself an identity which will be a key to its future social and economic prosperity.