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Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
The Louvre makeover that will push up price of seeing Mona Lisa
A baking summer's afternoon at the Louvre. Milling around the Mona Lisa are maybe 150 people, all with their phones held high above their heads so they can snap that enigmatic smile. Meanwhile, in the vast galleries surrounding Leonardo's masterpiece, an eternal throng of visitors from every corner of the globe trudges wearily on — most, this far into the gallery, seemingly oblivious to the glorious art around them. Paris's great museum has about nine miles of galleries, spread over 403 rooms. You enter it from beneath IM Pei's celebrated glass pyramid, which on a day like this behaves like a giant magnifying glass for the blazing sun. Many visitors probably won't venture more than half a mile into the heart of the museum. But in this huge, former royal palace there is one tranquil room. Far from the madding crowd, Laurence des Cars, 59, the first female director of the Louvre in 228 years, sits in her book-lined office, the picture of the formidable, Sorbonne-educated Parisian intellectual she is. If she is physically distanced from the heaving mass of humanity trudging round her domain, however, her brain is constantly occupied with it. 'One of my first decisions when I became the director in 2021 was to limit our daily admissions to 30,000,' she says. 'You know that, just before Covid, the Louvre was getting ten million visitors a year? When I got here the staff said, 'Please let's not go back to that because some days we were up to 45,000 visitors.' And that figure is too much. Even now we are saturated. The building is suffocating. It's not good for staff, visitors or the art.' Last month the Louvre's staff emphasised their grievances by going on a spontaneous strike (a 'mass expression of exasperation', their union official said), leaving thousands of tourists outside with no idea why they weren't being let in. 'It wasn't a strike,' des Cars says firmly. 'It was a meeting with the unions because of the conditions and especially the heat. I put in place immediate measures to make things better and we reopened that afternoon.' All the world's top museums — from the Vatican in Rome to the British Museum in London — are facing this same problem: huge congestion, especially around the handful of masterpieces that every tourist has heard of. But the overcrowding is felt most acutely by the Louvre, which still receives more visitors (8.7 million last year) than any other museum, yet has some of the worst facilities. We know this because six months ago a memo outlining its problems was leaked to a Paris newspaper. It caused a stir not just because it was addressed to Rachida Dati, France's culture minister, but because it was written by des Cars. She was jaw-droppingly frank. 'Visiting the Louvre is a physical ordeal,' she wrote. 'Visitors have no space to take a break. The food options and restroom facilities are insufficient in volume, falling below international standards. The signage needs to be completely redesigned.' Pei's pyramid, she went on, creates a 'very inhospitable' atmosphere on hot days. Other parts of the old building are 'no longer watertight'. Nobody has revealed who leaked the memo, but it's hard to imagine des Cars being upset by the revelation because within days came a dramatic intervention from on high. President Macron announced a redevelopment project that he called the 'nouvelle renaissance' of the Louvre. It's masterminded by des Cars and every bit as radical a reshaping as François Mitterrand's 'grand projét' of the 1980s, which led to Pei's pyramid. By chance it will run simultaneously with something similar in London: the £1 billion masterplan to renovate the British Museum, a coincidence that hasn't escaped des Cars' notice. 'I talk a lot with Nick Cullinan [the BM's director],' she says. 'He's wonderful, a great professional and he's dealing with exactly the same issues.' The most controversial feature of des Cars' plan is her proposed solution to the problem of that huge rugby scrum around the Mona Lisa. She wants to remove the painting to one of several new underground galleries to be excavated under the Cour Carrée courtyard, where it will get its own entrance requiring punters to buy an additional ticket (the price is yet to be decided). • The secret life of the Louvre: inside the world's biggest museum She also envisages a second entrance to the Louvre on the far side from where the pyramid is. 'The idea of having just one entrance to this enormous museum was a nice idea in the 1980s when the Louvre had just four million visitors a year,' she says. 'But that was before the Berlin Wall fell, before the Chinese started travelling, before international tourism reached the levels we have today. We are going back to what was always the case — several entrances for the Louvre.' At the same time the museum will be given a technical makeover. That will take ten years, des Cars estimates, whereas she suggests that the Mona Lisa gallery and the new entrance will be ready by 2031 or 2032. 'We are running a competition to find an architect and will appoint one early next year,' she says. 'And the Louvre won't close at all. That's the strength of having a very large building. You can rebuild half of it and still function in the other half.' One benefit of all this, des Cars says, is that it will help people to get to different galleries more quickly, introducing more lifts and better signage. 'On the second floor we have the most extraordinary collection of French paintings anywhere in the world and virtually nobody looks at them,' she says. 'You start to think, what's wrong with Poussin? The answer is nothing. The real problem is that to get from the pyramid to Poussin takes 20 to 25 minutes, and that's if you walk quickly and don't get lost. If we can sort out these problems people will discover many new joys.' It comes at a price, though. The ten-year project is expected to cost about £700 million. Unlike the British Museum's masterplan, however, at least half the required funding is already guaranteed. 'The technical renovation will be funded by the Ministry of Culture,' des Cars says. 'As for the new galleries and entrance, our trademark licence deal with the Louvre Abu Dhabi [which des Cars spent six years helping to set up] will give us at least £175 million. The rest we will raise from corporate and private supporters.' Even here, des Cars has an advantage over her British counterparts. 'When you say the word Louvre people all over the world pay attention,' she says. The gallery has one other huge income stream not available to UK museums. It charges for admission and the ticket prices are about to go up — £19 for EU citizens and a hefty £26 for non-EU visitors, including the poor old Brits. Sounds as if we need to rejoin the EU, I say. 'Please do!' des Cars says, beaming. But what does she think of the UK's generous policy of keeping its national museums free to all, even foreigners? 'I am absolutely not allowed to make any judgment on that,' she says with a laugh, and then makes one anyway. 'I mean, it's very admirable but is it sustainable in today's world? That's a political decision. I leave you to have your debate.' • Best time to visit the Louvre: top tips for your trip The daughter and granddaughter of distinguished French writers, des Cars was a respected art historian, writing a classic study of the pre-Raphaelites before she started running big Parisian museums (she was head of the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée de l'Orangerie before the Louvre). Surely it must break her heart to see thousands of people using great art merely as background for their selfies, disrupting other visitors' enjoyment in the process? Has she considered banning the use of phones, as other art galleries have done? 'I know they are trying but I simply don't know how you do it,' she says. 'We considered it when I was at the Orangerie and the security team said, 'We can't force people not to use phones.' Also I think it's dangerous to go against the times we live in, but you can remind people that they are in a cultural space and need to respect each other, the staff and the artworks.' • Mona Lisa to get her own room in the Louvre And perhaps be a bit more curious about venturing into galleries that don't contain the most famous paintings on the planet? 'We are already making changes to attract people to less-visited parts of the museum,' des Cars says. 'For instance, we could have put our new Louvre Couture [the museum's first venture into fashion] in our exhibitions space, but instead we placed it within the department of decorative arts and now those galleries get a hugely increased number of visitors, especially young people.' As the Louvre's first female director, can she do anything to mitigate the fact that the vast majority of artworks here were created by men? 'You cannot change history but there are other ways of addressing that question. In the spring of 2027 I'm programming an exhibition on the theme of amazons, ancient and modern — from Greek women warriors to powerful women today. It will be a fascinating journey.' And how is this very powerful woman enjoying her own fascinating journey? 'When I was appointed I felt ready to run the Louvre, which sounds immodest,' des Cars replies. 'Maybe I will be a disaster and someone will have to shout, 'Stop!' I don't know.' I would be amazed if anyone did that — or at least not until the mid-2030s, when she has finished remaking the Louvre for the 21st century. Additional research by Ziba Manteghi
Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
The Mona Lisa millions — behind the scenes at the world's busiest museum
A baking summer's afternoon at the Louvre. Milling around the Mona Lisa are maybe 150 people, all with their phones held high above their heads so they can snap that enigmatic smile. Meanwhile, in the vast galleries surrounding Leonardo's masterpiece, an eternal throng of visitors from every corner of the globe trudges wearily on — most, this far into the gallery, seemingly oblivious to the glorious art around them. Paris's great museum has about nine miles of galleries, spread over 403 rooms. You enter it from beneath IM Pei's celebrated glass pyramid, which on a day like this behaves like a giant magnifying glass for the blazing sun. Many visitors probably won't venture more than half a mile into the heart of the museum. But in this huge, former royal palace there is one tranquil room. Far from the madding crowd, Laurence des Cars, 59, the first female director of the Louvre in 228 years, sits in her book-lined office, the picture of the formidable, Sorbonne-educated Parisian intellectual she is. If she is physically distanced from the heaving mass of humanity trudging round her domain, however, her brain is constantly occupied with it. 'One of my first decisions when I became the director in 2021 was to limit our daily admissions to 30,000,' she says. 'You know that, just before Covid, the Louvre was getting ten million visitors a year? When I got here the staff said, 'Please let's not go back to that because some days we were up to 45,000 visitors.' And that figure is too much. Even now we are saturated. The building is suffocating. It's not good for staff, visitors or the art.' Last month the Louvre's staff emphasised their grievances by going on a spontaneous strike (a 'mass expression of exasperation', their union official said), leaving thousands of tourists outside with no idea why they weren't being let in. 'It wasn't a strike,' des Cars says firmly. 'It was a meeting with the unions because of the conditions and especially the heat. I put in place immediate measures to make things better and we reopened that afternoon.' All the world's top museums — from the Vatican in Rome to the British Museum in London — are facing this same problem: huge congestion, especially around the handful of masterpieces that every tourist has heard of. But the overcrowding is felt most acutely by the Louvre, which still receives more visitors (8.7 million last year) than any other museum, yet has some of the worst facilities. We know this because six months ago a memo outlining its problems was leaked to a Paris newspaper. It caused a stir not just because it was addressed to Rachida Dati, France's culture minister, but because it was written by des Cars. She was jaw-droppingly frank. 'Visiting the Louvre is a physical ordeal,' she wrote. 'Visitors have no space to take a break. The food options and restroom facilities are insufficient in volume, falling below international standards. The signage needs to be completely redesigned.' Pei's pyramid, she went on, creates a 'very inhospitable' atmosphere on hot days. Other parts of the old building are 'no longer watertight'. Nobody has revealed who leaked the memo, but it's hard to imagine des Cars being upset by the revelation because within days came a dramatic intervention from on high. President Macron announced a redevelopment project that he called the 'nouvelle renaissance' of the Louvre. It's masterminded by des Cars and every bit as radical a reshaping as François Mitterrand's 'grand projét' of the 1980s, which led to Pei's pyramid. By chance it will run simultaneously with something similar in London: the £1 billion masterplan to renovate the British Museum, a coincidence that hasn't escaped des Cars' notice. 'I talk a lot with Nick Cullinan [the BM's director],' she says. 'He's wonderful, a great professional and he's dealing with exactly the same issues.' The most controversial feature of des Cars' plan is her proposed solution to the problem of that huge rugby scrum around the Mona Lisa. She wants to remove the painting to one of several new underground galleries to be excavated under the Cour Carrée courtyard, where it will get its own entrance requiring punters to buy an additional ticket (the price is yet to be decided). • The secret life of the Louvre: inside the world's biggest museum She also envisages a second entrance to the Louvre on the far side from where the pyramid is. 'The idea of having just one entrance to this enormous museum was a nice idea in the 1980s when the Louvre had just four million visitors a year,' she says. 'But that was before the Berlin Wall fell, before the Chinese started travelling, before international tourism reached the levels we have today. We are going back to what was always the case — several entrances for the Louvre.' At the same time the museum will be given a technical makeover. That will take ten years, des Cars estimates, whereas she suggests that the Mona Lisa gallery and the new entrance will be ready by 2031 or 2032. 'We are running a competition to find an architect and will appoint one early next year,' she says. 'And the Louvre won't close at all. That's the strength of having a very large building. You can rebuild half of it and still function in the other half.' One benefit of all this, des Cars says, is that it will help people to get to different galleries more quickly, introducing more lifts and better signage. 'On the second floor we have the most extraordinary collection of French paintings anywhere in the world and virtually nobody looks at them,' she says. 'You start to think, what's wrong with Poussin? The answer is nothing. The real problem is that to get from the pyramid to Poussin takes 20 to 25 minutes, and that's if you walk quickly and don't get lost. If we can sort out these problems people will discover many new joys.' It comes at a price, though. The ten-year project is expected to cost about £700 million. Unlike the British Museum's masterplan, however, at least half the required funding is already guaranteed. 'The technical renovation will be funded by the Ministry of Culture,' des Cars says. 'As for the new galleries and entrance, our trademark licence deal with the Louvre Abu Dhabi [which des Cars spent six years helping to set up] will give us at least £175 million. The rest we will raise from corporate and private supporters.' Even here, des Cars has an advantage over her British counterparts. 'When you say the word Louvre people all over the world pay attention,' she says. The gallery has one other huge income stream not available to UK museums. It charges for admission and the ticket prices are about to go up — £19 for EU citizens and a hefty £26 for non-EU visitors, including the poor old Brits. Sounds as if we need to rejoin the EU, I say. 'Please do!' des Cars says, beaming. But what does she think of the UK's generous policy of keeping its national museums free to all, even foreigners? 'I am absolutely not allowed to make any judgment on that,' she says with a laugh, and then makes one anyway. 'I mean, it's very admirable but is it sustainable in today's world? That's a political decision. I leave you to have your debate.' • Best time to visit the Louvre: top tips for your trip The daughter and granddaughter of distinguished French writers, des Cars was a respected art historian, writing a classic study of the pre-Raphaelites before she started running big Parisian museums (she was head of the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée de l'Orangerie before the Louvre). Surely it must break her heart to see thousands of people using great art merely as background for their selfies, disrupting other visitors' enjoyment in the process? Has she considered banning the use of phones, as other art galleries have done? 'I know they are trying but I simply don't know how you do it,' she says. 'We considered it when I was at the Orangerie and the security team said, 'We can't force people not to use phones.' Also I think it's dangerous to go against the times we live in, but you can remind people that they are in a cultural space and need to respect each other, the staff and the artworks.' • Mona Lisa to get her own room in the Louvre And perhaps be a bit more curious about venturing into galleries that don't contain the most famous paintings on the planet? 'We are already making changes to attract people to less-visited parts of the museum,' des Cars says. 'For instance, we could have put our new Louvre Couture [the museum's first venture into fashion] in our exhibitions space, but instead we placed it within the department of decorative arts and now those galleries get a hugely increased number of visitors, especially young people.' As the Louvre's first female director, can she do anything to mitigate the fact that the vast majority of artworks here were created by men? 'You cannot change history but there are other ways of addressing that question. In the spring of 2027 I'm programming an exhibition on the theme of amazons, ancient and modern — from Greek women warriors to powerful women today. It will be a fascinating journey.' And how is this very powerful woman enjoying her own fascinating journey? 'When I was appointed I felt ready to run the Louvre, which sounds immodest,' des Cars replies. 'Maybe I will be a disaster and someone will have to shout, 'Stop!' I don't know.' I would be amazed if anyone did that — or at least not until the mid-2030s, when she has finished remaking the Louvre for the 21st century. Additional research by Ziba Manteghi
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Business Standard
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Paris's Louvre shuts down as anti-tourism protests spread through Europe
The Louvre Museum, the world's most visited museum in Paris, France, abruptly shut its doors on Monday after staff staged a spontaneous strike over chronic overcrowding, understaffing and crumbling conditions, leaving thousands of ticket-holders locked outside the world's most popular museum. Employees across departments, from security to ticketing, halted work during an internal meeting, citing unmanageable pressures brought on by mass tourism, the Associated Press reported. Many described working conditions as a 'cultural pressure cooker', worsened by government underfunding and unchecked visitor numbers. Mona Lisa gallery overcrowding adds to safety concerns Central to the crisis is the Salle des États, where up to 20,000 visitors a day gather to view the Mona Lisa. Despite a cap of 30,000 total visitors per day, the museum regularly operates over capacity. Staff report heat exhaustion, a lack of basic facilities, and safety risks. All of this is further exacerbated under the glass pyramid designed by IM Pei. An internal memo from Louvre president Laurence des Cars warned that parts of the building are no longer watertight, and temperature fluctuations are placing priceless works at risk. She described the museum as a 'physical ordeal' for both staff and guests. Delayed restoration plan adds to Louvre staff frustration Tensions have mounted just months after President Emmanuel Macron announced a €700–800 million, decade-long restoration scheme dubbed the 'Louvre New Renaissance'. The plan includes a new Mona Lisa gallery and a second entrance near the Seine. But staff say those upgrades will take years, while the daily burden is already unsustainable. While a limited 'masterpieces route', including access to the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo, may briefly open, a full reopening is not expected until Wednesday. Tuesday closures are standard. Funding cuts and symbolic politics fuel staff grievances Union officials say the strike highlights long-standing neglect. Over the past decade, state funding for Louvre operations has fallen by more than 20 per cent, even as attendance has rebounded post-pandemic. Unlike Notre-Dame or the Centre Pompidou, the Louvre relies heavily on ticket sales, private donors and international licensing, including revenue from the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Staff also criticised Macron for using the museum as a political backdrop, from his 2017 election victory to last year's Olympics, without backing that symbolism with investment. Tourism backlash spreads across southern Europe The walkout comes amid a broader wave of anti-tourism unrest across southern Europe. In cities including Barcelona, Lisbon and Palma de Mallorca, residents staged protests against rising rents, environmental degradation and what they see as the erasure of local life. In Barcelona, demonstrators sprayed tourists with water pistols in a symbolic call to 'cool down' overtourism. Protesters elsewhere carried mock coffins for local culture, blocked tour buses and paraded rolling suitcases through historic centres. However, protesters and workers alike insist that their message is not anti-tourist, but anti-neglect. For the Louvre and cultural landmarks across Europe, the question is no longer how to welcome the world, but how to survive it.
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First Post
17-06-2025
- First Post
Why the Louvre closed its doors to tourists abruptly
Thousands of tourists were left stranded outside the Louvre in Paris on Monday, as it was forced to shut down. What went wrong? It's staff decided to go on strike read more Tourists wait in line outside the louvre museum which failed to open on time on June 16. AP It is the world's most-visited museum, which has capped the number of daily visits to 30,000. But on Monday, as thousands of tourists queued up, the Louvre in Paris abruptly shut down. Many, holding tickets in their hands, were left stranded beneath I M Pei's glass pyramid for the better part of the day. Wonder why. The staff decided to go on strike. The striking staff included gallery attendants, ticket agents and security personnel, among others, the same people tasked with managing the huge crowds. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It's rare for the Louvre to close its doors. It has happened during World War I and World War II, during the pandemic and in a handful of strikes, including spontaneous walkouts over overcrowding in 2019, and safety fears in 2013. But seldom has it happened so suddenly, without warning, and in full view of the crowds. 'It's the Mona Lisa moan out here,' said 62-year-old Kevin Ward from Milwaukee, US. 'Thousands of people waiting, no communication, no explanation. I guess even she needs a day off.' Why is the Louvre staff striking? The world's most famous museum has become a case study in overtourism. As iconic sites from Venice to the Acropolis urgently address overtourism , the Louvre, frequented by millions, is facing an imminent crisis due to overwhelming crowds. A spontaneous strike erupted at the Louvre during a routine internal meeting, as gallery attendants, ticket agents, and security personnel immediately refused their posts to protest unmanageable crowds, chronic understaffing and what one union labelled 'untenable' working conditions. Even with daily visitor numbers capped two years ago, the Louvre staff complain that the work has become a constant struggle, marked by too few places to rest, inadequate bathroom facilities, and intense summer heat intensified by the pyramid's glass structure. The Louvre's strike was preceded by widespread anti-tourism unrest across southern Europe, with thousands rallying in places like Mallorca , Venice and Lisbon a day earlier. Protesters there decried an economic model they believe pushes out residents and degrades urban living. Barcelona activists even resorted to spraying tourists with water pistols, a 'theatrical bid' to symbolically 'cool down' runaway tourism. What's more, the disruption comes just months after President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a sweeping decade-long plan to rescue the Louvre from precisely the problems now boiling over: water leaks, dangerous temperature swings, outdated infrastructure, and foot traffic far beyond what the museum can handle. But for workers on the ground, that promised future feels distant. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We can't wait six years for help,' said Sarah Sefian, a front-of-house gallery attendant and visitor services agent. 'Our teams are under pressure now. It's not just about the art, it's about the people protecting it.' Is Mona Lisa to blame? At the centre of the overcrowding crisis is Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, which draws the biggest crowds at the Louvre. The 16th-century painting attracts nearly 20,000 people a day, who flock to the museum's largest room, Salle des États, to click a selfie with it. The scene is often noisy, jostling, and so dense that many barely glance at the masterpieces flanking her, works by Titian and Veronese that go largely ignored. 'You don't see a painting,' said 28-year-old Ji-Hyun Park, who flew from Seoul to Paris. 'You see phones. You see elbows. You feel heat. And then, you're pushed out.' Can Macron's revamp plan help? President Macron's 'Louvre New Renaissance' renovation promises a solution, with the iconic Mona Lisa finally receiving her own dedicated, timed-entry room. Additionally, a new entrance near the Seine River is slated for completion by 2031, aiming to alleviate the strain on the existing, overcrowded pyramid hub. 'Conditions of display, explanation and presentation will be up to what the Mona Lisa deserves,' Macron said in January. Tourists click images of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum in Paris. At least 20,000 people come to see the painting every day. File image/AP But Louvre workers call Macron hypocritical and say the 700 million to 800 million-euro ($730 million to $834 million) renovation plan masks a deeper crisis. While Macron is investing in new entrances and exhibition space, the Louvre's annual operating subsidies from the French state have shrunk by more than 20 per cent over the past decade, even as visitor numbers soared. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We take it very badly that Monsieur Le President makes his speeches here in our museum,' Sefian said, 'but when you scratch the surface, the financial investment of the state is getting worse with each passing year.' The full renovation plan is expected to be financed through ticket revenue, private donations, state funds and licensing fees from the Louvre's Abu Dhabi branch. Ticket prices for non-EU tourists are expected to rise later this year. But workers say their needs are more urgent than any 10-year plan. When will the museum reopen? The full museum might reopen as normal on Wednesday. Some tourists with time-sensitive tickets might be allowed to reuse them then. The Louvre remains closed on Tuesday. How does overcrowding affect the Louvre? Last year, 8.7 million people visited the museum. Shockingly, this is more than the number of people that the museum is designed to accommodate. Louvre President Laurence des Cars revealed in a leaked memo that the building is 'no longer watertight,' priceless art is endangered by fluctuating temperatures and basic visitor amenities, including food, restrooms and signage, are far below global standards. She simply called the experience a physical ordeal. Tourists queue up outside the Louvre pyramid. AP Unlike other major sites in Paris, such as Notre Dame Cathedral or the Centre Pompidou Museum, both of which are undergoing government-backed restorations, the Louvre remains stuck in limbo, neither fully funded nor fully functional. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD President Macron, who delivered his 2017 election victory speech at the Louvre and showcased it during the 2024 Paris Olympics, has promised a safer, more modern museum by the end of the decade. Until then, France's greatest cultural treasure, and the millions who flock to see it, remain caught between the cracks. With inputs from AP
Irish Times
08-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
How Oklahoma City turned its fortunes around with an infamous robbery
In 1993 the number of hotels in Oklahoma City had been reduced to one. It was a low ebb for a city that had, in its oil-gushing heyday, boasted architectural wonders such as the Biltmore and the Criterion, demolished along with many other gems during the 1970s grand plan to reimagine the historic downtown. The past was razed. The renowned modernist architect IM Pei was brought in to deliver a 21st-century city. The vision was extravagant. But the city money ran dry with the next oil slump, and most of what was planned was never built. By 1991, the city had become a finalist of an intense competition to win a $1 billion United Airlines maintenance plant, which would create 7,500 jobs and offer a welcome stable well of employment as opposed to the volatile, flash-flood riches of the oil industry. A successful bid would be a lifeline in a city that, according to the 1990 US census, had some 11,000 abandoned houses and a 14 per cent poverty rate. Ultimately, Oklahoma lost out to Indianapolis. The bittersweet feedback from United was, then mayor Ron Norick reported, that Oklahoma's proposal was 'by far the best prepared, well organised, the most courteous, the most responsive. But we didn't win the big enchilada.' READ MORE The main reason was that United didn't feel it could reasonably ask its people to live and work in somewhere as bereft of variety as OKC. Stung, Norick decided he would travel to Indianapolis to see for himself what it had that his beloved city did not. Everything, it turned out. 'So he got on a plane and flew to Indianapolis. There, he found a vibrant downtown and two major league professional sports teams,' David Holt, the current Oklahoma City mayor reported to readers of the Indianapolis Star in an opinion piece this week. 'Like OKC, Indianapolis lacked mountains or an ocean, but it had a central meeting place and reasons for people to rally there. Through its downtown and its sports teams, and all the things that come with those amenities, Indianapolis offered a quality of life appropriate to a city its size. OKC was also a pretty large city, but after being hollowed out by urban renewal, an oil bust and a banking crisis, it felt more like a place where a lot of people just happened to live. Indianapolis – previously our foil – was now our inspiration.' The reason behind the opinion piece is that the stars have aligned to thrust both Oklahoma and Indianapolis into a shared spotlight for the next fortnight. The cities' basketball teams, the Oklahoma Thunder and the Indiana Pacers, are again competing for the top prize, this time in the NBA finals. [ Thunder enlightens Oklahoma as basketball brings wind of change Opens in new window ] One of the first things Norick realised on that trip was that Oklahoma needed a sports team. It took almost two decades and a comprehensive downtown renaissance, which was interrupted and then spurred on by the federal building bombing in 1995, before they got their wish. The city custodians built a state-of-the-art sports arena but could find no willing tenant until it finally acquired, through infamous chicanery, a brand new franchise, the Thunder. But there is a uniquely American sting in the tail of Oklahoma's fairy story. Because it could not persuade a big sports team to move to its city, it went out and stole one. At least that is what any number of bereft Seattle basketball fans will tell you. In 2006, a consortium of Oklahoma business people bought shares in the Supersonics, the long-established Seattle team. When pressure to build a publicly funded upgraded arena was rejected by the Seattle city managers, the owners simply moved their club to Oklahoma, with the blessing of the NBA. The Supersonics vanished over a summer. The internet carries many grainy clips of the last Supersonics game, after 41 seasons, when the fans chanted 'Save Our Sonics' in unison through the closing minutes while the players raised their arms to encourage more decibels. But by the following September, many of the same players were wearing the uniform of the brand new Thunder. The loss of the team, the Seattle Times declared this weekend, 'leaves Seattle feeling like the victim of identity theft'. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket against Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers during Game One of the 2025 NBA Finals. Photograph: William Purnell/Getty If Oklahomans ever felt Seattle's pain, they have come to terms with it. Seattle is one of the great US city success stories, an enviable combination of tech-generated wealth and artistic creativity. They'd get over the Supersonics. Oklahoma was parched. Now the city is committed to spending $850 billion to a new publicly funded stadium. The Thunder, valued at $3.6 billion, will pitch in a mere $50 billion. But they don't want to make the same mistake as Seattle. So, for the next fortnight, the Supersonics will act as the ghost at the banquet throughout these finals. The Pacers, an august one-city team who joined the NBA in 1967 are still seeking their first championship. Their fans will feel slightly queasy about the fact that Oklahoma are standing between them and a maiden title. The Thunder are heavy favourites to win the finals. 'Thirty-four years after our United Airlines loss to Indianapolis, Oklahoma City is now in the NBA Finals, an achievement that feels like the capstone of an amazing American success story. It has been a journey inspired by you,' Holt writes in his salute to Indianapolis. 'Should another chapter be written in the weeks ahead, I regret to tell you that you'll have no one but yourselves to blame.'
