The Louvre Museum said Monday that it was closing the Campana Gallery as a precaution after an audit revealed structural weaknesses in some of the beams in the building.
The Campana Gallery, which houses nine rooms dedicated to ancient Greek ceramics, will be closed while investigations are conducted into "certain beams supporting the floors of the second floor" above it, a statement said.
The announcement has no link to the recent robbery at the worldâs most visited art gallery, but is more unwelcome news for an institution that has faced severe criticism in France over its security shortcomings.
Louvre boss Laurence des Cars warned in a memo in January about a "proliferation of damage in museum spaces, some of which are in very poor condition."
Some areas were "no longer watertight, while others experience significant temperature variations, endangering the preservation of artworks," she added.
The Campana Gallery is located on the first floor in the Sully wing at the far eastern end of the complex, with the second floor above it identified by the museum as having structural issues. The area is currently used as office space and the security scare was caused by "recent and unpredictable developments," the museum said.
The 65 people who usually work there are being relocated while further investigations take place. "During these investigations, the Campana Gallery ... will be closed to the public as a precautionary measure," the statement said.
A spokesperson said the gallery had been closed on Monday but that its priceless exhibits -- thousands of vases, cups and various containers -- would not be moved for the time being.