The building reflects the history of the Museum's beginnings.

The history behind the University of Navarre Museum is reflected in the building designed by Rafael Moneo. The architect himself made this clear to the students of the Master's Degree in Architectural Design during a visit to the museum under construction. The deep imprint that the Huarte family left in Navarra, their passion for contemporary art, their work as patrons of artists such as Oteiza or Chillida, the enhancement of concrete in the 30s, the elegance of Maria Josefa... There are many factors that make up the fragmented condition that has this building designed by Rafael Moneo.

According to Moneo, the students' knowledge of the circumstances in which the museum project was conceived is crucial to understanding the building, because, as he himself said, "behind the buildings there is life".

The beginnings of the project

When Mª Josefa Huarte decided to donate her collection to the University of Navarra in 2008, the idea was to build a simple building to house the works of art. However, the museum project evolved and the idea was to create a more ambitious building, capable of housing more spaces dedicated to different arts: it was no longer a place to simply exhibit the collection, but also to incorporate other rooms such as an auditorium to exhibit performing arts, a library or workshops and classrooms for teaching. Mª Josefa's collection became the origin of a cultural center with a powerful program.

The building

Moneo, who was appointed the architect of the building at the request of Mª Josefa Huarte, considered different locations within the campus to place the building: adjacent to the Library building, near the School of Architecture, on the esplanade next to the Central Building... And finally the hillside near the neighborhood of Iturrama was chosen, very close to the Library and the city of Pamplona. In this way, the building marks the beginning of the campus looking towards the Mount of Forgiveness and the people of Navarre would have a direct entrance to the cultural center.

The fact that the museum was incorporated, almost mimetized, in the landscape was a clear objective of the architect. Its location, between two hillsides, and its landscaped roof will provide that sense of "camouflage" on the campus that will characterize Museo Universidad de Navarra.

The good experience of natural light in the rooms of the Miró Foundation in Mallorca encouraged Moneo to include hillocks that would allow light access from the outside. The basement floor will not have access to natural light due to the conservation conditions required for the photography collection, which could be damaged by the sun's rays.

The three large blocks that determine the museum are the Auditorium, the exhibition halls and the storage tower. However, the various elements that make up the building will be perceived as independent volumes with their own life but united in the same figure. In the interior, the interstitial spaces between the rooms are of great importance, as they fulfill a conjunctive function in the building. Its fragmented condition has led it to be defined as "Rafael Moneo's most abstract building".

Concrete

Concrete is the material chosen for the construction of the building. Giving continuity to the architectural style of the campus was paramount when deciding what the building would look like and therefore, Moneo wanted to continue the line of the Library, Social Sciences or the new Ed. de Amigos.

The reddish tone of the concrete responds to the architect's intention to provide warmth and not to depart from the color and texture of the stone. According to Rafael Moneo, the color will be similar to that of the Los Angeles Cathedral, which he designed in 2002.