Sorolla Museum in Madrid Reopens After €14m Expansion, Historic House Still Closed
On 15 October, the Sorolla Museum in Madrid will reopen following a €14 million renovation and expansion. Located in the former residence of painter Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (1863-1923), the museum now boasts a 1,698 square meter addition designed by Nieto Sobejano, which includes new exhibition areas, an auditorium, and storage facilities. The opening exhibition, titled 'Behind the Artist's House: The Architecture of the Sorolla Museum, 1905–2026', will explore the building's architectural evolution. Sorolla was involved in its construction from 1909 to 1911, and the museum houses the most extensive collection of his artwork. In 2023, it welcomed 344,799 visitors. The historic site will undergo two years of restoration, emphasizing accessibility and the preservation of original decor and Andalusian-inspired gardens.
Key facts
- The Sorolla Museum in Madrid reopens on 15 October after a two-year closure.
- The €14m project includes a 1,698 sq. m extension by Nieto Sobejano, adding exhibition spaces, an auditorium, and storage.
- The museum is housed in the former home and atelier of Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (1863-1923), known for sunlit Mediterranean beach scenes.
- Sorolla oversaw construction of the atelier-home between 1909 and 1911; it holds 1,394 paintings and around 5,000 drawings.
- The museum opened to the public in 1932; its layout was designed for a family of four and staff.
- In 2023, the centenary of Sorolla's death, the museum welcomed 344,799 visitors, a 40% increase from 2022 and first time surpassing 300,000.
- The Ministry of Culture acquired two adjacent properties in 2009 to expand the original 1,432 sq. m of usable floor space.
- Work began in January 2022, and the museum closed in October 2024; the historic residence will remain closed for an estimated two years of restoration.
Entities
Artists
- Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida
- Joaquín Sorolla
- Fuensanta Nieto
- Enrique Sobejano
- Rafael Moneo
- Enrique María Repullés
- Covadonga Blasco Veganzones
- José Manuel Ballester
- Fernando Maquieita
- Jonas Bel
- Clotilde Sorolla
- Federica Lonati
- Clotilde García del Castillo
- Joaquín Sorolla García
- Enrique María de Repullés y Vargas
- William Howard Taft
- Enrique Valera
- Enrique Varela Agüí
- Tony Perrottet
- Alexandra F. Coego
- Rocío Mendoza
- Christian Thorsberg
- Jonás Bel
- Enrique Varea Agüí
Institutions
- Sorolla Museum
- Ministry of Culture
- Nieto Sobejano
- The Art Newspaper
- Museo Sorolla
- Ministerio de Cultura
- Palazzo Reale
- Opéra Bastille
- Artribune
- Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos
- Spanish Ministry of Culture
- Fundación Sorolla
- Fondation Bemberg
- Art Newspaper
- Smithsonian magazine
- Todo Alicante
- VEGAP
- White House
- Gerencia de Infraestructuras y Equipamientos de Cultura del Ministerio de Cultura
- Biennale di Venezia
- Museo de Arte Moderno (MoMA)
- Kunsthaus de Graz
- Fundación MAST de Bolonia
- Museo de Madinat al-Zahra
- Museo de Moritzburg en Halle
- Museo de San Telmo en San Sebastián
- Palacio de Congresos de Zaragoza
- Fundación Martín Chirino en Las Palmas
- Museo Joanneum en Graz
- Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Córdoba
- Centro Arvo Pärt en Estonia
- Centro de Exposiciones Montblanc Haus en Hamburgo
- Museo Arqueológico en Múnich
- Archivo de las Vanguardias en Dresde
- Volvo
- Gerencia de Infraestructuras y Equipamientos de Cultura
- Revista de Arte - Logopress
Locations
- Madrid
- Spain
- Seville
- Granada
- Alcázar of Seville
- Generalife
- Chamberí
- Calle Zurbano
- Milan
- Italy
- Paris
- France
- Valencia
- Toulouse
- United States
- Chicago
- España
- Berlín
- Alemania
- Venecia
- Italia
- Nueva York
- Estados Unidos
- Graz
- Austria
- Bolonia
- Halle
- San Sebastián
- Zaragoza
- Las Palmas
- Córdoba
- Estonia
- Hamburgo
- Múnich
- Dresde