Reina Sofía Arts Center: Spain's National Art Museum in Madrid

The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía was officially inaugurated on September 10, 1992, and is named for Queen Sofía. It was established as Spain's national museum of 20th-century art.

The Reina Sofía is Spain's national museum dedicated to 20th-century art, featuring extensive collections of Spanish masters like Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí, and is one of the world's largest museums for modern and contemporary art.

The central building of the museum was originally an 18th-century hospital designed by José de Hermosilla and Francisco Sabatini, which ceased operations in 1969. It has since undergone extensive renovations to serve as an art museum.

The museum's architectural identity was significantly altered in 1989 by Ian Ritchie, who added three distinctive glass circulation towers to the existing structure.

An 8,000 m2 expansion designed by French architect Jean Nouvel opened in October 2005, adding spaces for temporary exhibitions, auditoriums, a bookshop, and restaurants, costing €92 million.

The museum's collection is primarily dedicated to Spanish art, with significant holdings by Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí. Picasso's Guernica is its most famous masterpiece.

The building housing the museum was designated as a monument under Spanish Cultural Heritage (Bien de Interés Cultural) in 1978, with the reference number RI-51-0004260.

The Reina Sofía houses a free-access library focused on art, boasting a collection of over 100,000 books, approximately 3,500 sound recordings, and nearly 1,000 videos.

The museum serves as a major location in Jim Jarmusch's 2009 film, 'The Limits of Control'.

Scenes for the 2003 Spanish film 'Noviembre' were shot in the square in front of the museum, including school entrance and performance sequences.