The Prado Museum has just experienced the largest expansion and modernization operation in its history. On October 30, after five years of work, the people of Madrid will be able to discover the new face and new rooms of this famous institution created in 1819. A brand-new setting for Goya, Vélasquez and Murillo, but above all new spacious and functional structures, which fit perfectly into the original building. And, to highlight the event, open days are organized by Prado, which will unveil many works never seen in its collection.

Bigger, more functional, more beautiful

A new Prado, larger, more functional and more beautiful. From October 30, residents of Madrid and art lovers will finally be able to discover, after five years of work, the new spaces of the flagship museum of the Spanish capital, designed by the architect Rafael Moneo. It is not a revolution, nor a simple facelift. Rather of a particularly welcome modernization, which will have cost the trifle of 152 million euros. Indeed, the treasures of the Prado began to feel cramped in the building constructed at the beginning of the 19th century by Juan de Villanueva. And yet, only a thousand works out of the eight thousand that make up the collection were previously exhibited to the public, estimated at two million visitors per year.

The main granite and brick building, called “Villanueva”, remains the heart of the new Prado. It is always there that the jewels of the permanent exhibition will be exhibited, from the Meninas of Vélasquez to the Majas of Goya, including the Murillo, Bosch, Greco, Zurbaran, Rubens and other Titians. However, the extension of the museum to other buildings has freed up around forty rooms where we can see some five hundred additional paintings.

Rafael Moneo’s new building

Let us come to the new rooms: it is mainly an ultra-modern basement and a refitting of the Jeronimos cloister which is behind the Villanueva. Without forgetting the premises of the Army Museum, which has moved to Toledo. The extension extends the Villanueva building, respecting its style, in particular through the use of similar materials, such as granite, stucco and brick. In all, the Prado gains more than 15,700 m2 of useful space, thus increasing its surface area by more than 50%, which is enormous.

Behind two monumental bronze doors, access is now made in the semi-basement, through a gigantic vestibule buried under a Tuscan garden, which connects Villanueva to the new rooms. There you will find the reception, the ticket office, the shop and the cafeteria. An interesting novelty: the queues of visitors for the permanent collection and the temporary exhibitions are now separate. The Jeronimos cloister, dismantled and rebuilt stone by stone, is located inside the new building of Moneo. The Jeronimos rooms, which house sculptures and temporary exhibitions, are lit by a natural skylight. Four rooms with a total area of 1,386 m2 will be dedicated to temporary exhibitions.

A large part of the new Prado is devoted to the unexposed collection (a capacity of one thousand five hundred canvases), to restoration or expertise workshops. It also houses an auditorium with four hundred seats and even an art school.

Event and open house exhibition

After the official inauguration of the new Prado by King Juan Carlos of Spain and Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero on October 30, entry to the museum will be exceptionally free from October 31 to November 4. After this date, the entry ticket will cost € 6 (which is not much for such an institution). Access to the Madrid museum will also be free two hours a day from Tuesday to Saturday (from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.) and for three hours on Sunday (from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.). This measure will relieve congestion on Sunday, which until now has been the only free day in Prado.

Finally, to highlight the opening of the new exhibition halls, the museum offers two event exhibitions. “The 19th century at Prado: rediscovery of a collection” will present, until April 20, 2008, 95 paintings and 12 sculptures by the great Spanish masters of the 19th century, acquired in 1971. This set has never been exhibited, except at Casón del Buen Retiro. And, from November 20 to February 24, “Fables de Vélasquez” will showcase the work of the author of Les Ménines from the perspective of historical painting.

Spain Visa Singapore for citizens and foreign nationals living here.