The Sabatini Building

Founded as Hospital de San Carlos in the 18th century, the Sabatini Building takes its current name from Francisco Sabatini, a renowned architect commissioned with the hospital’s construction. Operating as a hospital until 1965, in 1977 it was declared one of Spain’s Historic-Artistic Monuments and, three years later, underwent a renovation to house exhibitions, before becoming what is today’s Museo Reina Sofía in 1990. Its renovation also made use of the unfinished contours of the hospital: its lack of façade was replaced with monumental glass and steel towers to house external lifts, one of the building’s current distinguishing features.