Paris to build world’s first free Picasso sculpture park

The Picasso Museum in Paris has unveiled an ambitious €50 million expansion project called "Picasso 2030," marking the institution's 40th anniversary with plans for the world's first free public sculpture park dedicated to the Spanish master and a major doubling of exhibition space.

Museum director Cécile Debray announced the comprehensive renovation on September 28, coinciding with the museum's anniversary celebration. The project will merge the museum's existing garden with the adjacent Square Léonor-Fini to create a 2,300-square-meter sculpture park featuring approximately a dozen bronze works by Picasso. The park will be freely accessible to the public without requiring museum admission.lejournaldesarts+5

World's First Open-Air Picasso Museum

The sculpture garden will showcase notable bronze works including Picasso's 1950 life-sized "The She-Goat," currently housed inside the museum. According to Debray, the space will take inspiration from Scandinavian gardens where visitors can interact with sculptures. "We are drawing inspiration from Scandinavian gardens, where people can interact with the sculptures," Debray told media outlets, calling it "the first open-air museum" dedicated entirely to Picasso.nzherald+3

The project holds special significance for the Picasso family, with daughter Paloma Picasso describing it as "full of life—like my father". She shared memories of the actual goat that inspired the bronze sculpture, recounting how it lived with the family on the Côte d'Azur when she was six or seven years old.parisplaybook+1

Major Exhibition Space Expansion

Beyond the sculpture park, the museum will construct a new 1,500-square-meter wing dedicated to temporary exhibitions, effectively doubling the space from 4,300 to 8,600 square feet. The expansion addresses growing spatial constraints at the institution, which houses the world's largest collection of Picasso's work with over 5,000 artworks and 200,000 archival items.news.artnet+4

"The building is magnificent and extremely well-maintained. However, over time, I have noticed its limitations since all visitor traffic constantly intersects," Debray explained. "The museum was designed in the 1980s as a jewel box, not a living space."lemonde+1

Construction is scheduled between 2028 and 2030, with the museum remaining open throughout the renovation period. The entire project will be self-funded through corporate sponsorship and substantial contributions from the Picasso family, without requiring taxpayer support.lejournaldesarts+4