The Madrid-based institution, one of the oldest in Europe, is set to transform its headquarters in the Salamanca district with a project by architects Antonio Ruíz Barbarín and Chus Manzanares, which will include a large hall for temporary exhibitions
In 2027, the Carlos de Amberes Foundation will complete a far-reaching transformation that will mark a new chapter in the history of one of Europe’s oldest institutions. Founded in 1594, the foundation will open to the public a revitalised cultural space designed to reinforce its role as a leading centre for European culture, thought and dialogue. It will also feature a distinguished programme of temporary exhibitions dedicated to major figures in the history of art.
The headquarters of the Carlos de Amberes Foundation, located at 99 Calle Claudio Coello, is one of Madrid’s most unique heritage sites. As the successor to an institution founded in the 16th century to assist pilgrims from the former territories of the Netherlands, the building has for centuries served as a meeting point between Spain and Europe. Its historic chapel houses *The Martyrdom of Saint Andrew*, the masterpiece that Peter Paul Rubens painted for the Foundation and which is considered one of the artist’s most important works preserved in Spain. Whilst renovation work is underway, the painting can be viewed temporarily at the Prado Museum.
The Carlos de Amberes Foundation has embarked on an ambitious project to restore and extend its historic headquarters, which has been designated a Site of Cultural Interest. The project, led by architects Antonio Ruiz Barbarín and Chus Manzanares and carried out by the construction firm EMPTY, will transform this unique heritage site into a leading cultural venue for Madrid and Europe, combining respect for its historical legacy with contemporary architecture designed to meet the needs of the 21st century.
Once the works are completed in 2027, the building will have more than 2,000 square metres of usable floor space, divided into various areas dedicated to cultural, artistic and institutional activities. These include a large temporary exhibition hall measuring 500 square metres and five metres high, designed to host world-class exhibitions dedicated to major figures in the history of art. The project will also restore the historic chapel, the heart of the Foundation.
The refurbishment will also include a fully equipped auditorium with a capacity for 150 people, designed to host conferences, concerts, meetings and academic activities, as well as support spaces for events and institutional programmes. In addition, there will be a spacious rooftop area of over 400 square metres surrounding the church’s exterior façade, creating a new meeting place in the heart of the Salamanca district.
About the Carlos de Amberes Foundation
The Carlos de Amberes Foundation–Royal Provincial Council of San Andrés de los Flamencos is a private, non-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening cultural ties between Spain and the territories that historically made up the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands —now part of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and part of northern France— as well as to promoting reflection, study and dissemination of the process of European integration.
Over the last twenty-five years, the Foundation has established itself as a leading authority in the fields of culture, thought and European relations thanks to a rich programme of activities, meetings and research projects. Its Madrid headquarters has hosted some of the most influential figures in the political, cultural and intellectual life of each era, including heads of state, members of royal families, prime ministers, presidents of the government, artists, writers, academics and journalists. Since 1995, the Foundation has also been recognised as an R&D&I centre by Spanish and European institutions, thereby reinforcing its commitment to generating knowledge and promoting the European project.
The Foundation’s origins date back to 1594, when Carlos de Amberes, a Flemish merchant based in Madrid, executed a public deed by which he donated a number of properties on Calle de San Marcos to serve as a shelter and lodging for the poor and pilgrims from the seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands. In 1609, King Philip III accepted the patronage of the institution on behalf of himself and the kings of Castile, a responsibility currently held by His Majesty King Philip VI.
In 1638, the painting *The Martyrdom of Saint Andrew*, painted by Peter Paul Rubens on commission from Jan Van Vucht, was added to the Foundation’s collection; it was donated to the institution and is preserved to this day as one of its most iconic works.
The confiscation laws of 1798, which ordered the sale of the assets of hospitals and almshouses, deprived the Foundation of its resources, ushering in a period of crisis that seriously jeopardised the survival of the work by Carlos de Amberes and culminated in the demolition, in 1848, of the original church of San Andrés de los Flamencos. The intervention of Belgian diplomats, together with the support of the Royal Provincial Council and various political figures and members of the Crown, proved decisive for its survival.
As part of this historic process, in 1877 the Princess of Asturias, Doña Isabel de Borbón, inaugurated a new church and hospital on Calle Claudio Coello, now the headquarters of the Carlos de Amberes Foundation, which would eventually shift its focus to cultural purposes following the revision of its statutes in 1988.
In 1992, Their Majesties King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía, in the presence of King Baudouin I of Belgium and Queen Fabiola, inaugurated the Foundation’s refurbished and extended headquarters.
