Montcada Venue's building
The Museu Etnològic i de Cultures del Món's Montcada Venue is located in the Nadal and del Marquès de Llió manor houses in Carrer de Montcada, in the heart of the old city. Carrer de Montcada is a hub of highly important medieval architecture, with museums and well-conserved historic buildings, and it was declared a Historic-Artistic Monumental Site in 1947.
The actual building is the result of an architectural intervention on the above-mentioned two historic Carrer de Montcada buildings; Casa del Marquès de Llió and Casa Nadal. The remodelling began in 2013 and the museum was inaugurated in 2015, with the presentation of a large collection of material cultural heritage from various cultures in Africa, Oceania, Asia and the Americas.
The architectural and the museographical intervention both placed emphasis on adapting the installations and systems to the buildings’ use as a museum, without forgetting the conservation and renovation of invaluable medieval architectural elements.
The use of modern museographical resources places emphasis on the sober presentation of cultural heritage exhibits from around the world, brought together in the city in the late 1940s by various collectors and public institutions, such as the Museu Etnològic.
With regard to the architectural intervention, the unification of the two buildings was conceived from a horizontal and vertical perspective. In the former case, this was focused on the fluid circulation of visitors through the exhibition halls. In the latter, it focused on the creation of two stairwells, allowing a connection between the various architectural spaces.
The restoration of the architectural elements included the renovation of exterior woodwork, the windows and doors, which dated back to the 18th century. The interior façades were also renovated, along with the 14th century panelled Gothic ceilings in the Marquès de Llió manor house.