Malaga's Museum of Glass unveils completed renovations to mark anniversary

The museum's expansion has given way to a sort of Andalusian-style courtyard overlooking the Philippine temple, and it can be enjoyed without having to pay admission to the collection

Jesús Hinojosa

Malaga

Saturday, 27 May 2023 | Updated 29/05/2023 11:11h.

Friday, 26 May, marked the 14th anniversary of one of Malaga’s most fascinating attractions, the city’s Museum of Glass.

The museum’s popularity continues to grow thanks to the strenuous efforts of its promoter, the collector Gonzalo Fernandez-Prieto.

Six years ago he decided to expand the museum with an adjacent building that today is a reality and has given way to a sort of Andalucian-style courtyard overlooking the Philippine temple, and it can be enjoyed without having to pay admission to the collection, from Tuesday to Sunday, from 11am to 7pm.

The expansion cost 800,000 euros. "I was advised to do some tourist accommodation to make money, but this is not an economic question, it is a question of love. I think we have saved the neighbourhood," Fernández-Prieto said.

Designed by the architect Ignacio Dorao, the courtyard is surrounded by a gallery with columns in which some of the museum's most valuable pieces are displayed. Specifically, these are works by the Finnish glass designer Oiva Toikka. "They are not just pigeons, some are specific species of birds that we are going to put labels on so that parents can show them to their children when they visit this courtyard. This is something for Málaga," Fernández-Prieto said.

Behind a door in the courtyard, in an area not yet open to the public, a space has been set up to display one of the pottery kilns that was discovered during archaeological excavations carried out during extension works.

"It is the last kiln in this potters' quarter, and it belonged to the Chinchilla family, which gives its name to this street," Fernández-Prieto said.

He is also planning to place a glass fountain in the patio area where a water spout was found that supplied what was once the Cassini family's servant's house.

But this will happen after he financially recovers. Despite receiving a grant of 150,000 euros from the Municipal Housing Institute (IMV), most came out of his own pocket.

"I have had help from the Town Hall, but this has been a big effort," said the historian from Madrid, who worked since 1980 as a home renovator in Great Britain and landed more than twenty years ago in Malaga to live.

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