The difficult but necessary extension of the Museo del Prado to the design of Rafael Moneo
MúzeumCafé 14.
During the time of its implementation major disputes surrounded the design of Rafael Moneo, who was in charge of the Prado’s extension. However, following completion his ideas were finally acknowledged, since during the reconstruction he brilliantly resolved problems in such a way that he respected throughout both the Villanueva building itself and its environment. Building of the complex began in 1785 to the design and management of architect and university professor Juan de Villanueva. The plan then included the construction of three connected sections devoted to three branches of science: physics would have been accommodated in the first part, the second would have housed an observatory and library, while there was to be a botanical garden between the two. The work was finished by 1808, but in that very same year Spain entered into war with France with the result that the building could not fulfil its original purpose. Following French occupation, with the encouragement of Doña Isabel de Braganza, second wife of King Ferdinand VII, the Villanueva building, which had been severely damaged during the French invasion, was to become a museum. It was inaugurated as the Museo Real de Pintura y Escultura (Royal Museum of Painting and Sculpture) on 19 November 1819. The new institution initially had only 300 paintings, but around 1827 the collection included some 4000 works of art, due to the support of King Ferdinand VII. During the era of Absolutism the royal office appointed the museum’s management and the procedure involved one of the political games of the period. Spanish aristocrats such as the Marquis of Santa Cruz, the Prince of Anglona and the Prince of Híjar were in charge of the museum. In the next period artists were chosen to run the museum. Among them Federico de Madrazo stood out. During his directorship the collection was arranged according to schools and in 1865 the museum was named Museo del Prado. Damage incurred during the Spanish Civil War required professionals and art historians to run the Prado during the third period. They tried to utilise the museum structure on a more scientific basis. From 1978, the year when Spanish democracy was restored, extension of the museum was continuously in the air. For years new spaces were added to the original structure of the building and as a consequence by the 1960s the volume of the attached areas made the implementation of any unified idea physically impossible. The first international tender was announced in March 1995. Although more than 700 architects participated and the jury selected ten designs for the second round in September 1995, the tender was cancelled. However, the ten finalists were invited for a second tender. In November 1998 the jury unanimously decided for Rafael Moneo’s design, which the architect called Buen retiro. As soon as Moneo and his team began working, it became clear that a deep respect for Villanueva’s original plan and a sensible utilisation corresponding to the real value of the neighbouring buildings were acknowledged as major tasks. Consequently, Moneo’s extension links the museum’s old building and the new block incorporating the restored monastery of the Hieronymites, while simultaneously respecting the old building. As a result of the extension, the area of the museum increased by 15,700 square metres, representing a growth of more than 50 per cent compared to the exhibition area of 28,600 square metres of the Villanueva building. From the very moment when the winning tender was announced, the restoration of the Hieronymite monastery was the most disputed aspect of the extension plan. Both blocks of the building were dismantled stone by stone, which were numbered and taken away for cleaning and renewal. During this time the plot was dug up and the earth taken away, so that the connections of the new underground reception area could be built in line with Rafael Moneo’s plans.