The renovation of the Natural History Museum and the Cité des Sciences requires “a big plan”

The state of the buildings of the Natural History Museum and the City of Science and Industry requires “a major renovation plan,” Philippe Baptiste, Minister of Higher Education and Research, declared in the Senate on Wednesday.

Questioned by Senator LR from Paris Agnès Evren on the state of disrepair in particular of the Museum, which is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year, the minister recognized “considerable needs”.

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“The Museum is not simply the museum of the 5^e district, there are a total of 23 sites which represent a surface area of ​​7 million square meters”, he began by reminding. “This real estate heritage is in a proven state of disrepair, the renovation needs are considerable and are estimated at around 1 billion euros,” he indicated, joining the figures recently put forward to AFP and several media by the management of the establishment.

“It is considerable, particularly in the budgetary context that we are experiencing (…) because we have at least one other site which requires work of this order, I am thinking in particular of the Cité des Sciences”, continued the minister before indicating: “All of this will require at one point or another a major renovation plan which far exceeds the financial capacities of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research.”

In mid-April, the president of the Museum Gilles Bloch spoke to AFP about the deterioration of the institution’s buildings, due to lack of financial resources. “We are losing our working tools. When we welcome the public, when we host labs, if we are forced at some point to close buildings, it is no longer possible to continue,” he declared.

The City of Science and Industry is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and a reflection on its renovation is also underway.