Viewing museums as spaces that open up to the city and bring culture closer to their target audience is a philosophy that can be made tangible through their very architecture, as demonstrated by the renovation project for the Salón de Reinos, an impressive space that, after being closed for 16 years, is now closer to reopening its doors.
The winning proposal for the renovation of the Salón de Reinos—which is part of the Prado Museum’s expansion, to which it has belonged since 2015—was“Traza Oculta,” the project submitted by the team from Foster + Partners L.T.D. and Rubio Arquitectura S.L.P.
Following the renovation, this space—which has been closed for 16 years—will transform the surroundings of the Prado Museum by unifying its various buildings and blurring the boundaries between the museum and the city, all while respecting and protecting the Salón de Reinos’ original historic façade .
The Key Elements of Traza Oculta
One of the key aspects of the selected project involves the creation of a large entrance atrium on the south facade, giving the space a character that is “semi-open and permeable to the outside, yet sufficiently controlled to serve as protection for the original facade,” which dates back to the 17th century.
In addition, the exhibition space will be expanded with a third floor, larger than the current one, serving both as a roof for the atrium and as a source of natural light from above.
The ground floor, meanwhile, will become the building’s nerve center, featuring both exhibition spaces and recreational areas.
The Origins of the Salón de Reinos
This historic building was constructed between 1630 and 1635 and is, according to the Madrid City Council, the most distinctive of the surviving structures in the grand palatial complex of the Real Sitio and Palacio del Buen Retiro, alongside the Casón del Buen Retiro.
It owes its name to the fact that the coats of arms of the kingdoms that made up the Spanish Monarchy during the reign of Philip IV were painted there, and it housed an important collection of paintings, most of which are now preserved in the Prado Museum itself.
When will the Salón de Reinos at the Prado reopen?
If the scheduled deadlines are met, the renovation work will be completed in the second half of 2027, and, as sources at the Prado Museum have confirmed to Madrid Secreto,“the public opening is expected by the end of 2028.”
