Structural issues force Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo to abandon Madrid slaughterhouse art complex

Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo has abandoned her initiative to transform Madrid's Matadero complex into a contemporary art hub, citing overwhelming architectural challenges. The founder of Turin's Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo had engaged architects David Adjaye and Arturo Franco in 2017 to revamp the early-twentieth-century slaughterhouse in the Arganzuela district. However, a recent feasibility assessment uncovered fundamental structural problems within the 165,415 sqm city-owned site that proved unresolvable. This project aimed to create a versatile venue for exhibitions, educational programs, research, and events. Despite this setback, Sandretto Re Rebaudengo is still determined to establish a presence in Madrid and is looking for another site. She recently commissioned Ian Cheng for an exhibition at Fundación Fernando de Castro and plans to support a curatorial residency there.