El Blog

On Saturday, the 19th March, the new Centre of Knowledge and Research of the Museu Picasso will offer an open doors day, within the framework of the “We open the Born neighbourhood to culture and commerce” event.  The building has been constructed with the idea of it becoming a space of local and international reference in the study and research about Picasso and his artistic and social context.  The centre has been conceived as a dynamic space for promoting research, reflection and critical debate, and therefore, to generate new knowledge.

Exterior and interior of the building. Photo: Josep M Llobet

The building is structured in three levels: the ground floor is distributed in four multi-purpose spaces for the educational service of the museum and other activities such as workshops, talks, seminars; the first floor includes the documentation centre, the library and the archive, and the basement is the home to spaces adapted for the installations, the storeroom, changing rooms and a rest area.

Sketch of the centre and overall plan of the museum. Estudi Jordi Garcés

The centre started its works on the 10^th July 2009 and is annexed to the group of historical buildings of the museum, facing the Jaume Sabartés square and the  Flassaders street. The group of palaces that make up the museum have a total constructed area of 11,500 m².  With this new building the area of the museum extends to 13,000 m² and achieves the global architectural plan drawn up in 1978.

Internally, the move of the educational services and the library, and the organization of the new rooms which is beginning to take place, is causing quite a lot of activity and movement of people and materials.

The most delicate moment of the works was when it was decided that the space dedicated to the library would be more than a library, and would also include the documentation centre and the archive, thus turning it into an integral centre of knowledge and research.  Therefore, with the works well underway, it was necessary to make adaptations both to the structure of the building and the plans.

The Centre of Knowledge and Research the first night it was illuminated. Photo: Núria Fradera

But for every delicate moment, there is also one of satisfaction which compensates it.  The CEO of the museum, Núria Fradera, made a comment on the first night that the lights of the building were turned on with the furniture in place.  She and Amparo, from the team of architects of the construction company, found themselves taking photographs of the façade together. “We look like two proud mothers!” Núria said while looking at the finished work.

Links of interest:
Chronology of the enlargement

Related Posts:
The work of extending the Museum is now progressing at a good pace
Juggling on carrer Flassaders: the progress of the works for the new building of Museu Picasso