An original setting

The museum is located in the old General Hospital built by the architect Sabatini under the orders of Charles III of Spain, and was designated a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1977. It is home to one of the world' most highly-prized permanent collections.

The museum' collections come from two sources, the old MEAC (Spanish Museum of Contemporary Art) collections and acquisitions made by the museum itself, in addition to works bequeathed by the Catalan artists Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró. The permanent collection is located on the second floor, divided into rooms dedicated to Nonell, Anglada Camarasa, Iturrino, Zuloaga, Solana and María Blanchard, among other early 20th-century Spanish painters; the Cubist movement, Picasso, Dalí, Miró, and a room entitled "Ideas". Temporary exhibitions are held in the main museum building, and in the Velázquez and Crystal Palaces. The latest trends by the newest up-and-coming artists are on display in the area called "Espacio UNO", which occupies the ground floor of the main building. Picasso's "Guernica" is one of the most important works on display here.

The museum was enlarged in 2005 to create new exhibition areas. The area devoted to the permanent collection has been increased by over 50%, making the Reina Sofia one of the largest contemporary art museums in the world today. The extension comprises three buildings, mainly dedicated to temporary collections. There is also an auditorium seating 500 people and another smaller one with 200 seats, along with a large arts and humanities library.