Transformation of the Palacio de Villahermosa into the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

Rafael Moneo (1)
Rafael Moneo
Rafael Moneo Vallés

In the mid-1980s negotiations began for the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection to come to Madrid. The Palace of Villahermosa became one of the attractions with which to seduce the baron who, after visiting the National Museum of Roman Art in Mérida, demanded that the project for its remodelling be entrusted to the architect Rafael Moneo. The response to the problem posed by the remodelling of the Villahermosa Palace renounced any kind of personal expression and relied instead on historical and constructive knowledge of the building.

View gallery

The new floor plan, the new palace, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum was to start from what was the last episode in the evolution of the old Palacio de Villahermosa: the north façade, the façade over the garden entrance. This façade, which paradoxically had barely been considered in the definition of the palace wall system, was to be the starting point for the new areas of the palace that were to shape the museum.

Michael Moran / OTTO
Michael Moran / OTTO

The façade provided an axis from which to organise a new system of walls, and it can be said that the origin of the layout was based on the axis of symmetry that governed the façade. The frontality of the façade as the origin of a deep hallway that was illuminated from above and defined a void on the first floor and a courtyard on the second floor. The circular movement to be used to structure the floors was to surround this courtyard and the empty space.

Michael Moran / OTTO

General information

Transformation of the Palacio de Villahermosa into the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

YEAR

1992

Status

Built

Option to visit

Visit by appointment

Address

Wwy. del Prado, 8

28014 Madrid - Madrid

Latitude: 40.416228435

Longitude: -3.695021954

Classification

Built area

5001 - 20000 m²

Involved architects

Rafael Moneo Vallés

Collaborators

Vidal Gutiérrez de Sande (Technical Architect)

Ove Arup & Partners (Structure and Installations)

J.G. Asociados (Installations)

Luis Moreno Mansilla (Architect - Project team)

Belén Hermida (Architect - Project team)

Juan de Dios Hernández y Jesús del Rey (Models)

Esteyco, S.A. (Structure)

Emilio Tuñón (Architect - Project team)

Involved architectural firms

Rafael Moneo

Information provided by

Rafael Moneo

Website links

Museo Thyssen

Rafael Moneo - Transformation of the Villahermosa Palace into the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

arrow_forwardGo to the Encyclopedia
  • Michael Moran / OTTO
  • Ground Floor - Rafael Moneo
  • Michael Moran / OTTO
  • Michael Moran / OTTO
add

Location

40.416228435 -3.695021954 7e582f87-e736-41cc-b68d-4d23a2b0a24c Built
Click to activate the map
Built
Temporary
Lost
Unbuilt project

Cookies policy

GNOSS usa cookies, propias y de terceros, con finalidad principalmente técnica y necesaria para prestación de nuestros servicios y mostrarles contenido relevante. Más información en nuestra  política de cookies .

ACEPTA para confirmar que has leído la información y aceptado su instalación. Puedes modificar la configuración de tu navegador.