Thyssen Museum in Barcelona on track for 2028 opening, with focus on local and young audiences

The Thyssen Museum in Barcelona, set to open in the former Comedia Cinema building, is progressing according to schedule and is expected to open by 2028, organizers confirmed on Thursday.

Although construction work has not yet begun and the cinema remains untouched since its closure, the team behind the project is finalizing the architectural plans and expects to receive the building permit by 2026.

The museum’s entire collection will come from the private holdings of Baroness Thyssen, who is promoting the project alongside Stoneweg Places & Experiences. The works will span the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.

Responding to criticism and speculation that the museum's central location would make it primarily geared toward international visitors, the baroness's nephew, Guillermo Cervera, also involved in the project, clarified that the museum will focus first and foremost on the local public.

"An art project cannot succeed internationally if it does not first succeed locally," he said on Thursday during an artistic intervention in the old cinema created by Barcelona art students.

Another key aspect of the museum, Cervera added, will be its commitment to engaging new generations.

"The collection aims to exhibit renowned works from Carmen Thyssen's holdings while reaching younger audiences through digital formats and exhibitions by contemporary artists," he explained.

In addition to the main collection, the organizers intend for the museum to provide a platform where young creators can present their first exhibitions.

Baroness Thyssen, accompanied by her daughter Carmen Cervera, visited the Comedia Cinema on Thursday to view an installation created by students, described as "the first artwork of the future museum."

More than 90 students from Barcelona’s art and design schools collectively transformed the cinema's 500 seats.

The event was attended by notable cultural figures, including Chilean painter Guillermo Lorca, Catalan chef Carme Ruscalleda, and TVBoy, an internationally recognized figure in urban art.