Harquitectos and the Swiss Christ & Gantenbein win the competition to expand the MNAC
Both studios are also responsible for the expansion of the Macba
BarcelonaHarquitectes and Christ & Gantenbein have taken the lead in expanding the country's most prominent museums. Following the MACBA, whose construction began a few weeks ago, the Sabadell-based studios and their Swiss colleagues have unanimously won the competition to expand the MNAC's Victoria Eugenia pavilion on Montjuïc, as announced by the The Vanguard and the ARA has been able to confirm. Project information can be found on the Generalitat's transparency portal. The winning proposal still has to go through several administrative procedures, and the other candidates can appeal it. The project is scheduled to be officially presented in May.
The winning project by Harquitectes and Christ & Gantenbein places the main entrance of the future expansion in the Carles Buïgas squareThe connection to the museum's current location will be initially through a passageway that will act as an "interlude between the city and the museum," and secondly, through an underground passageway that will connect to the temporary exhibition halls and reserves. Swiss firm Christ & Gantenbein has experience in this type of facility, having been responsible for the Museum of Fine Arts in Basel and the extension of the Swiss National Museum.
The ground floor of the Victoria Eugenia Pavilion will house the lobby, the welcome area, the auditorium, and the cafeteria, in addition to the first exhibition space, "divisible into temporary and permanent exhibition space depending on the museum's needs." Between the entrance lobby and the exhibition space, next to Puig i Cadafalch Square, there will be an intermediate floor housing the public spaces and the shop, with direct access from the square. The cafeteria in the food and beverage area will be located at different points and levels along the public route to generate different points of attention.
The museum as a space for reception and public service
The score of the proposal by Harquitectes and Christ & Gantenbein, 93 points, far exceeds that of the runner-up, which obtained 80. According to the jury, the winning proposal "very successfully fulfills the values of the museum as a space for welcoming and serving citizens." Above all, due to "the relationship the proposal establishes with its surroundings, opening the museum to the city and vice versa." The proposal recognizes the Victoria Eugenia Palace building by showcasing its volumetric, spatial, and heritage qualities, and skillfully adapts it to the museum's new needs," the jury's minutes add.
Another of the project's virtues is "the great versatility of the spaces—which will allow the museum to meet its current needs and adapt to future ones. Furthermore, it stands out for being a proposal where the configuration and versatility of the spaces will allow it to maximize the visitor experience."
