Rafael Moneo signed the expansion of the Museo Nacional de Arte Romano de Mérida 40 years later

architect Rafael Moneo88 years old, he signed the expansion of the Museo Nacional de Arte Romano (MNAR) in Mérida, 40 years after he designed and directed the construction of the building that was inaugurated in 1986.

Moneo took part in this miracle, joined by the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, in the inauguration of what he prefers to call “incorporation”so the new spaces, divided into different plants, stand on the land that occupies the living space connected to the museum.

The realization made it possible to equip the museum new living room with a capacity of 238 peoplea new temporary exhibition room with loading and unloading machines, teaching areas for teaching subjects, a new archive of climate-controlled pieces for archaeological materials, a new archive, investigator and technical areas and important improvements to staff areas for public attention.

Part of the reorganization project is also the modification and improvement of desk, cleaning, security and public access services.

Works that have been implemented since 2023, they expected a turnover of 10.7 million eurosprovided by the Ministerio de Cultura, which allowed the doubling of an area exceeding 3,000 square meters.

Although work began three years ago, Moneo took the burden of the project much earlier in 2009according to the architect, through the reputation that the museum has acquired from an academic point of view.

After that, the first “abstract” idea for this “professionally demanding” work was emphasized until the final design.

The work assumes “continuity” in the interior according to the architectureHowever, the visitor does not realize whether he is in the new space or in the old one, while he encounters different facades outside.

Moneo, who won the Pritzker Prize 30 years after he was the first Spaniard to receive it, returned to 1986 in an “emotional” memory, as I said, of the museum’s beginnings.

The architect stated that “Mérida is its own yacht” and you can “brag” about it. In its taste, this museum has nothing to envy to the British Museum or the Metropolitan Museum.

On the other hand, the minister assured that the museum is “functioning well” and it is believed that last year saw a record number of visitors despite the few months spent there.

224,890 visitors visited MNAR last yearwhich assumes an increase of 21.97% compared to 2024. It originates from a small collection that, due to the importance of the Roman mine of Mérida, was cultivated until it was transformed into a national museum in 1975. In 1986, the Moneo building was inaugurated, located next to the Theater and Amphitheater.

The collection offers a summary of life in Augusta Emeritaone of the capitals of Roman Hispania, with mosaics, statues, epigraphs and documents of Roman material culture. It also contains songs from the Visigoth era and speeches from the Middle Ages.

The Director of the Trinidad Nogales Museum assisted; cultural council, Victoria Bazaga; the spokesperson of the Ayuntamiento de Mérida, Julio César Fuster; and the government delegate in Extremadura, José Luis Quintana, among others.