Foster + Partners and Rubio Arquitectura to Expand Prado Museum

Foster + Partners and Rubio Arquitectura have won the international competition to design the expansion of the Prado Museum in Madrid, beating 47 other proposals including those by David Chipperfield, Rem Koolhaas/OMA, and Eduardo Souto de Moura. The project, named Hidden Design, focuses on the restoration and museological redefinition of the Salón de Reinos (Hall of Realms), acquired by the Prado in 2015 and formerly housing the Army Museum. The winning team has 16 months to develop the executive project, with construction slated to begin in 2018, aiming for completion by 2019 in time for the museum's bicentennial celebrations. Key features include a new south-facing entrance with a semi-open, permeable atrium that protects the original facade, restoration of historic windows and balconies, an exhibition space with combined natural and artificial zenithal lighting, and rooftop solar panels. The ground floor will serve as a public level with exhibition and recreational areas, connecting the Hall of Realms to the Cason del Buen Retiro to create a vital urban center. The jury cited the proposal's high architectural quality, respect for the existing structure, and cost study as decisive factors. This expansion follows earlier Madrid museum projects: Jean Nouvel's extension of the Reina Sofía (1999–2005) and Rafael Moneo's new building for the Prado (2007), which added the 22,000-square-meter Cubo.