DA2 (DOMUS ARTIUM 2002)

DA2 occupies the former provincial prison of Salamanca, built between 1927 and 1930. Very characteristic elements of the original building have been preserved, such as the corridor with its grille, the cell doors, the courtyards, the load-bearing walls, and the main facade, which maintain the memory of its former penitentiary use.

The renovation, led by architect Horacio Fernández del Castillo and awarded the Regional Restoration Prize and the ARPA award, aimed to highlight the building's most relevant architectural values and eliminate subsequent low-quality additions. To allow visitors to easily identify which parts are original and which are new, a contrast in shapes, materials, and colors was used, especially in the windows and exterior cladding. Additionally, the complex was adapted to its new museum function by incorporating spaces such as storage rooms, offices, internal work areas, reception, cafe-restaurant, shop, and children's play area.

The old perimeter walls were replaced by more open enclosures, allowing the building to be seen from the outside. The walls separating the courtyards were also removed, integrating them into the surroundings and creating a wider access that functions as an entrance square.

On the exterior, the differentiated treatment of the facades stands out: the independent building housing the reception retains its original appearance, while the rest of the complex has been painted in an intense red to mark the renovated areas, contrasting with the new, bluish-gray volumes. Inside, light and bright tones were chosen to create neutral and versatile spaces.

The interior was completely gutted, and the floor slabs were renovated to create the exhibition halls. However, the large central gallery with its cantilevered metal walkway and the grille separating it from the lobby, where the twin staircases lead to the upper floor, were maintained. The two wings of the building are joined by an elevated walkway illuminated by a skylight.

Regarding the functional distribution, the detached building serves as the main access and administrative area. The central building and the rooms in the east wing are dedicated to exhibitions, while in the west wing, the old dining room has been transformed into a restaurant, event hall, and library. The old women's module was replaced by a new prismatic-shaped building, which visually stands out within the complex.

DA2 is a cutting-edge space in a historic city where projects by world-renowned artists as well as young creators taking their first steps are developed. The collection bears witness to the evolution of contemporary art over the last few decades, a reference point that marks a timeline up to the 21st century and allows for the study of aesthetic and creative contrasts between different generations of artists.

THE PERMANENT COLLECTION The museum has its own collection and the collection of the Coca-Cola Spain Foundation, both disseminated through temporary exhibitions.

The DA2 Collection A collection of contemporary, national, and international works, temporarily located from the 90s to the present day, with special attention to new Castilian-Leonese artists and those based in the city of Salamanca.

The Coca-Cola Foundation Art Collection Since 2023, the Coca-Cola Foundation collection has become a permanent part of the collection holdings of the DA2 Domus Artium 2002 art center. The collection, which has been forming since 1993, had already been temporarily deposited at DA2 since 2007. It comprises 404 works by more than 250 artists from across Spain and Portugal and encompasses all artistic disciplines, such as painting, photography, sculpture, and video art.

Periodically, DA2 organizes large group exhibitions dedicated to a specific theme, such as art and political violence, idyll and nature, the masks of social roles, or even rock music.

DA2 includes in its program the so-called Emerging Space, which is dedicated to organizing exhibitions and promoting latest-trend artists linked to the city of Salamanca (either because they trained at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Salamanca or because their creative career develops in this city) and also to the Castilian-Leonese area. This commitment to new local creators aims to be a reference point and promotion platform for artists, some still in training, giving them an opportunity to exhibit and showcase their work, which is very promising in most cases. Notable artists who have exhibited in Emerging Space include Hugo Alonso, Diego del Pozo, Fernando Malmierca, Paloma Pájaro, and Alfredo Omaña.