Barcelona’s biggest art museums studying reopening together

Six of Barcelona’s biggest art museums are studying the possibility of reopening at the same time and not before June. 

MNAC, MACBA, Picasso Museum, Joan Miró Foundation, Tàpies Foundation, and the CCCB have begun work on reopening with a third of the capacity and without cultural activities beyond galleries. 

The art centers are taking steps towards preparing to open their doors to the public once again, including adapting the internal organization, training staff on personal protective measures, and preparing the facilities to receive the public in the safest possible conditions. 

Sources from the MNAC say this will not be a quick or easy task, and therefore it will take “weeks” before people can return to these premises.

The MNAC will begin adapting the museum from next Monday, coinciding with the expected start of Phase One of the de-escalation plan, which in fact already allows them to open to the public with 30% of its capacity. “This will take a few weeks,” they say.

The plan is already designed and has been "studied." First, staff will need to be trained to work in safe conditions. In the case of the MNAC, this involves 150 internal workers plus 150 external ones, some of whom will continue to work from home due to various circumstances. 

Finally, the spaces (information panels, physical separation, etc.) will be adapted to make the museum a "safe" but also comfortable place.

Facilities that are part of the Articket Bcn network, which offers a joint and reduced priced entrance to the museums, are likely to coordinate their reopening together. Museums involved are MNAC, MACBA, Picasso Museum, Joan Miró Foundation, Tàpies Foundation, and the CCCB.

The date for allowing entrance once more is not yet set, but indications are that it will be from the week of June 8.