Reina Sofía Museum, Madrid

About the Reina Sofía

The museum occupies the former city general hospital, built in the 18th century to designs by the architect Francesco Sabatini. In the 1980s it was turned into an arts centre, and in 1992 it opened as a national museum named after Queen Sofía. Two glass lift towers were added to the austere façade and became the museum's emblem.

In 2005 a new wing by Jean Nouvel opened: three buildings around a courtyard under a vast red canopy roof, housing a library, temporary exhibition halls and a café. Together, the Prado, the Thyssen and the Reina Sofía form the Golden Triangle of Art, with the Reina Sofía covering the 20th century and today.

What to see

The core of the permanent collection is the second floor, devoted to the first half of the 20th century. It holds Madrid's largest collection of Pablo Picasso, from early portraits to work of the 1930s, plus the Cubism of Juan Gris and Georges Braque. Nearby are rooms of Salvador Dalí's surrealist paintings and Joan Miró's bright signs and figures.

The fourth floor covers the second half of the century: Spanish abstraction by Antoni Tàpies and Eduardo Chillida, Pop Art, photography and video. Many galleries sit in the old hospital wards around a shady inner garden with sculpture, where you can step out for a break.

What to see at the Reina Sofía

• Picasso — Madrid's largest collection of his work.
• Dalí — surrealist paintings of the 1920s and 30s.
• Miró — bright signs and figures.
• Juan Gris — Spanish Cubism.
• Tàpies and Chillida — art from the later 20th century.
• The glass lifts — city views from the upper floors.

The building and Nouvel's wing

The museum is worth seeing as architecture too. Ride a glass lift to the top floor and look out through its transparent walls over the square, Atocha station and Madrid's rooftops. The old hospital's inner garden, with trees and sculpture, is one of the quietest spots in the centre.

Jean Nouvel's wing is linked to the old building by walkways. Beneath its red roof is an open courtyard where anyone can sit for free, along with a library and a bookshop. It often hosts temporary exhibitions of contemporary artists from around the world.

Tips for your visit

The museum is huge, so decide on your priorities: on a first visit, start with the second floor, Picasso, Dalí and Miró, before moving on to later art. Two hours covers the main galleries; with temporary shows, allow up to half a day.

Large bags go to the cloakroom. Photos without flash are allowed in most rooms, but banned in some, so watch for the signs. The café and restaurant in the Nouvel wing are open to non-visitors too.

It combines easily with the Botanical Garden and the Prado on the same boulevard and with Retiro Park. Next door, Atocha station has a tropical garden inside its old hall, and high-speed trains leave from here for Toledo and Seville.

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How to do it right

• Closed on Tuesdays.
• Start on the second floor.
• Free hours in the evening.
• Atocha and the Prado are close.

Questions