The government will reform the Reina Sofia Museum to restore space "for the museum and the residents of Madrid".

The government will reform the Reina Sofia Museum to restore space. Although it might be thought that Guernica is the most viewed cultural property at the Reina Sofia Museum, it is actually a museum fad. "The historic building of Sabatini, an urban landmark of 40 meters and a perimeter of one kilometer that receives visitors from Atocha station to Madrid, receives the most views," explains the architect Rafael Hernandez, commissioned by the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism. The responsibility of the promoted reform, which aims to "reclaim the space for the museum and the neighborhood" and to "turn the art gallery into a territory".

Reina Sofia Museum

The project, presented by the respective Ministers Reyes Maroto and Mikel Etiquette, is part of the European Fund for Recovery, Transformation and Stabilization Plan and has reached a total of 15,279,959 euros for work in the Spanish capital. In addition to interventions on the facade of the museum, this includes the rehabilitation of the Palacio de Velasquez (which is part of the Reina Sofia) and the National Library of Spain in the Retro Parka.

Reyes Maroto highlights that the Madrid community is one of the main focuses of cultural investment for the Ministry of Tourism. Michael Etiquette points out that the Reina Sofia is located within Madrid's Landscape of Lights, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2021. There is a commitment to enhance that heritage.

New paint on the face and opening of museum to Lavanya square

15.2 million has been allocated for three projects The first is the facelift of the Reina Sofia "There is no documentation of the original form, but we have been able to discover that it does not have a cover, but the bricks are open", explained Hernandez. The problem is that the quality of the bricks does not allow them to recover their original form "Now it's about deciding which voice, there's a lot of it, we've left as the main finisher."

The second project is the total reformation of the museum facing Hospital Street, whose walls will be demolished and the museum space will open to the Lavapis neighborhood. From its front, the museum overlooks the Ronda de Atocha and the Plaza del Emperador Carlos V de Atocha. Now he will see his neighbors in Lavapis It will be a forum rather than a temple, architectural details.

Finally, the third project plans to reform the Palacio de Velazquez, located in the Parque del Retro, to make it more accessible. The architect recalled that he "came from a building built in the logic of the great Universal Exhibitions in the 19th century. The start of the work was scheduled for the beginning of 2024 and the duration is two years.

Current view of Velazquez Palace in Retiro Park Ministry of Culture

In addition to the project at the Reina Sofia Museum, two other state-owned buildings that are part of the Landscape of Light will also be improved. 8.5 million euros will be dedicated to the rehabilitation project for the National Library of Spain; and 1,092,959 euros at the Prado National Museum.

As reported by Culture, all of this work must be done before the end of the second quarter of 2026 to comply with the recovery, transition and sustainability plan.