MADRID.-The director of the Museo Reina Sofia, Manuel Borja-Villel, today announced that it will recover 4,500 square meters of exhibition space, changes in the museum’s organization chart, new responsabilites and a reorganization of the collection.

After only four months since he took his new job and following on his idea that the Reina Sofia should work in complete transparency, the new head met with the media to inform of his new projects. The director also stated that Richard Serra would have a strong presence in this new era of the museum. His sculpture 'Equal Parallel/Guernica-Bengasi' —famous for being "lost" in the museum's collection — will have a permanent place in the museum. According to spanish newspaper El Mundo, Borja-Villel said that the artist asked that the sculpture not get "lost" again.

In reference to the museum space, when the exhibit of the works of art from the Picasso National Museum in Paris ends, a small intervention will take place in the gallery where the Guernica is currently exhibited, which will take a few days. The intervention will be made up of the modification of a few walls with the intention that the visitor will have the opportunity to contemplate the masterpiece in a frontal manner, its original point of view.

It will not be the only restoration. Borja-Villel proposed that a series of reforms to improve the circulation and in general to gain 4,500 square meters that will hopefuly be available by the year 2010 or 2011. The restoration will not imply that the museum will close at any point in time.

The museum director also commented on the next exhibitions the museum will hold. The most important are an exhibition of photographs by Edward Steichen, starting on June 24, works of art made by Nancy Spero and the Alberto García-Alix retrospective, the National Photography Prize that will open on November 4.

"Starting next year, the exhibitions will be more coherent", said the director of the Reina, who also said that the majority of the exhibitions to be held this year were scheduled by his preecessor, reported Estrella Digital.

"We will also make a lot of acquisitions that are included in the museum's budget, which is not modest at all", indicated the man responsible for the Reina Sofia Museum.

Architectural Interbention Report
The alterations, which are expected to reach completion by 2010, affect both the interior and exterior of the building. In keeping with one of the basic principles governing these alterations – the reinstatement of original features - the architecture and appearance of the building will be restored to their original state. Such is the case, for example, of the Sabatini garden entrance. Various spaces will
also benefit from the incorporation of natural light as the windows between rooms that were sealed up in the past will be re-opened. This will also help to reduce the corridor sensation currently perceived in certain areas. Meanwhile, places not currently used, such as staircases, will be reclaimed for use by the public, thereby facilitating itineraries through the building.

General repair work, reflooring and rewiring will be conducted throughout the museum, as well as several specific interventions. In connection with the exterior of the building, the Sabatini façade will be consolidated, cleaned and painted. This will largely restore the museum to its appearance at the end of the 1980s. The museum will remain open throughout the alterations without any interruption to normal operations. The costs incurred by the above interventions are expected to be met from the museum’s ordinary budget for the next few years.