Museum of Contemporary Art, Vigo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vigo Museum of Contemporary Art |
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Museo de Arte Contemporánea de Vigo (MARCO)
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Facade of the museum.
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| General information | |
| Type | Museum |
| Location | Vigo, Galicia, Spain |
| Coordinates | 42°14′09″N 8°43′16″W / 42.23583°N 8.72111°W |
| Construction started | 1861 |
| Completed | 1880 |
| Opening | 2002 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor area | more than 10.000m² |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | José María Ortiz y Sánchez |
The Vigo Museum of Contemporary Art (also known as MARCO) is a cool art museum in Vigo, Spain. It's a special place because it doesn't have its own permanent art collection. Instead, it always shows new and exciting art exhibitions that change regularly. This means there's always something new to see!
A Building with a Past
The MARCO museum building is very old. It was built in the 1800s, starting in 1861. Can you believe it was first made to be a public prison? The government approved the plan for this new jail. A talented architect named José María Ortiz y Sánchez designed it. The building was finished in 1880. It ended up being more than just a prison. It also had courtrooms and even a small place for the guards to stay.
Saved from Demolition
About 100 years later, the city thought about tearing down the old building. They wanted to create a leafy public square there instead. But many people disagreed with this idea. Important architects like Alvaro Siza Vieira and Javier Sainz de Oinza spoke up. A history professor, Pedro Navascués Palacio, also helped. Because of their strong opinions, the plan to demolish the building was stopped.
On October 6, 1990, the building was officially recognized as a Cultural Property. This meant it was important to the history and culture of Galicia. It had to be protected.
From Prison to Museum
In 1995, a new and exciting idea came up. The city decided to turn the old building into a modern art museum! This big project was given to a team of architects. They were Salvador Fraga Rivas, Francisco Javier García-Quijada Romero, and Manuel Portolés Sanjuán.
They worked hard to change the old prison into a beautiful museum. The renovation cost about 2 million Euros. Finally, in 2002, the museum opened its doors. It was given the name "MARCO," which stands for Museo de Arte Contemporánea de Vigo.
See also
- List of museums in Spain
In Spanish: Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Vigo para niños
