The Louvre-Lens annex is part of an effort to provide access to French cultural institutions for people who live outside of Paris.

[5] Other critics pointed out that the museum makes no attempt to address Lens's turbulent history or its current economic difficulties.

[1][8] The Louvre-Lens Museum, SANAA + Imrey Culbert's first building in France, was awarded the Prix d'architecture de l'Equerre d'Argent for 2013.

[1] To the east of the entry hall is the 3,000 m2 (32,000 sq ft) Galerie du Temps which houses approximately 200 items from the Paris Louvre collection.

The first exhibition, titled Renaissance, included Leonardo da Vinci's recently restored The Virgin and Child with St. Anne.

[14] On Dec 4, 2012, President François Hollande, alongside first lady Valérie Trierweiler, the Minister of Culture Aurélie Filippetti, the director of Le Louvre Henri Loyrette, the mayor of Lens Guy Delcourt, and former prime ministers Lionel Jospin and Pierre Mauroy officially opened the Louvre-Lens.

[17] On Feb 7 2013, a woman vandalized a major masterpiece of the museum, Liberty Leading the People, writing "AE911" on it with a black marker, possibly a reference to a group calling itself "Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth".