Located in the heart of the monastic complex of Santa Maria de Pedralbes in Barcelona, the assignment pursued the adaptation of the old Dormitory in order to host the new permanent exhibition of the Monastery’s Museum. First of all, it was necessary to redefine and improve the exhibition narrative because, after 12 years of research, new data had already been discovered about the exhibited pieces that required updating the content of the same. Secondly, the Queen’s Room had to be emptied and freed in order to host temporary exhibitions. Finally, the old Dormitory had to be able to host chamber music concerts, at least a couple of times a year; a requirement that forced the dismantling of the current distribution that had a central separating wall.
It was proposed that all the new elements added to the original nave echo, above all, the austerity and simplicity present in all the spaces of this monastery dedicated to Santa Clara d'Assisi, and tend, as much as possible, to go unnoticed.
All the walls would be painted gray in harmony with the colour of the Sant Vicenç stone pavement, defining a neutral and restful environment in which to display the pieces. All the paintings would be hung at exactly the same height, as well as the accompanying posters. All pedestals would be constructed of the same grey lacquered panels and on them – wherever necessary for safety reasons – minimal chrome display cases would be placed. A distribution of the same would allow the works to be grouped within the space, facilitating a differentiated reading of both the container and the content of the exhibition. At the entrance, a white square would be painted as an accent to indicate the beginning of the exhibition route, emulating a large-format painting. A new metal door would be installed to be able to physically segregate the Queen's Room from the Dormitory and, at the end opposite the entrance, a 7m long bench upholstered in red velvet would be placed that would allow the visitors to rest.
