The Royal Collections Museum in Madrid by Luis Mansilla + Emilio Tuñón

Royal Colections Museum exterior by Masilla y Tuñon

The Royal Collections Museum in Madrid by Mansilla & Tuñón was built taking into account the classic structure of the Royal Palace and the modern concept of a descending museum. The Art Museum is expected to be open in 2020 and will be located in a new building in the gardens of the Campo del Moro park next to the Almudena Cathedral and the Royal Palace. It is intended to house paintings, sculptures, tapestries, luxury objects, carriages and other works of art and historical pieces that the different kings of Spain were treasuring throughout history.

Royal Collections Museum Technical Information

Architects: Luis Moreno Mansilla + Emilio Tuñón
Typology: Cultural Architecture / Museum
Location: El Pardo, 28048, Madrid, Spain
Area: 50.000 m2
Collection Size: 155,000 Artworks
Client: Patrimonio Nacional de España
Material: Concrete, Granite
Main consulting firms: J.G. Asociados, Alfonso Gómez Gaite.
Main Contractor: FCC S.A., Dragados.
Competition Year: 1999-2002
Project year: 2002-2015
Opening year: 2020
Photographs: © Luis Asin © Patrimonio Nacional

The Royal Collections Muesum is conservative and radical. It is a radical building, but also mimetic. In fact, it could not exist autonomously, but is vicarious of what exists, prolongs it and uses its systems.

– Emilio Tuñon¹

Royal Collections Museum Photographs

Exterior of the Royal Colections Museum by Masilla y Tuñon

Aerial View of the Royal Colections Museum exterior by Masilla y Tuñon

Colecciones Reales Royal Colections by Masilla y Tuñon

Ramp of the Royal Collections Museum in Madrid by Luis Moreno Mansilla and Emilio Tuñón

Facade of the Royal Collections Museum in Madrid by Luis Moreno Mansilla and Emilio Tuñón

^{© Patrimonio Nacional}

Royal Collections Museum description by the Architects

From the urban point of view, the Museum of Royal Collections is based on two basic principles: First, the museum is part of the natural-artificial landscape of the western ledge of Madrid, and secondly, the new building preserves the public character and open from the Almudena’s square. The Royal Collections Museum broadens the base of the Royal Palace, building a linear space that follows the traces of the palace itself. The three levels of exposure conform to three distinct collections: tapestries, paintings, and carriages. Each of these showrooms is organized with a span of a hundred and twenty meters long and sixteen meters wide.

Royal Collections Museum Floor Plans and Sections

About Mansilla & Tuñon

Luis M. Mansilla (1959-2012) and Emilio Tuñón Alvarez (1959) founded Mansilla + Tuñón Architects in 1992. Mansilla + Tuñón Architects was a Madrid based office, dedicated to the confrontation of theory, and academic practice, with design and building activity. They received the Spanish Fine Arts Gold Medal 2014, the Mies van der Rohe Award 2007, and the Spanish National Architecture Award 2003.

Emilio Tuñón and Luis Mansilla developed most of their academic career at the Architectural Design Department of the Architecture School of Madrid, as full professors. Additionally, they taught as visiting professors at Princeton University School of Architecture (springs 2008, 2009 and 2010), Harvard Graduate School of Design (spring 2006), Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (spring 2005), Barcelona International Architecture School (2001-2002), Frankfurt Städelschule (1997-1998), Architecture San Pablo CEU Foundation (2000-2001), Barcelona Architecture School (1999-2000), New Puerto Rico Architecture School (summer 2000) and Navarra Architecture School (springs 1999 and 2011).