The Museo Sorolla, a state-owned museum under the Ministry of Culture, will open its new extension to the public on 15 October. Located at number 68 on Zurbano Street in Madrid, this expansion marks the completion of the first phase of a project that began with the museum's closure in October 2024 for renovations.
Designed by Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos, the new building adds more than 2,000 square metres of space and services to enhance the museum's exhibition, cultural, and research activities. The extension will debut with the exhibition 'Behind the artist's house: Architectures of the Museo Sorolla (1905–2026)', curated by Covadonga Blasco Veganzones.
The total investment for this project amounts to €13,104,692, which includes the acquisition of the building, renovation works, and new equipment. The historical building, where the painter Joaquín Sorolla lived and worked with his family, will remain closed during the second phase of the project, which focuses on its comprehensive rehabilitation and the restoration of the gardens.
The new facility features four galleries for temporary exhibitions, an auditorium with a capacity of 80 people, a unified storage area for over 9,500 cultural assets held by the museum, and a dedicated restoration workshop for the collections. These facilities will allow for an expanded cultural programme, including temporary exhibitions, lectures, concerts, workshops, and other activities.
The extension is designed not as an independent building but as an intervention that connects with the historical architecture through elements characteristic of the house and the creative universe of the painter. Nieto Sobejano's project reinterprets three main references: the gardens, the Andalusian patio, and Sorolla's studios. The exhibition 'Behind the artist's house: Architectures of the Museo Sorolla' will be open to the public from 15 October 2025 to 10 January 2027.
