Some companies celebrate their anniversaries. Others, when looking back, can point to decades of projects that have transformed the way people experience culture. Proasur is celebrating 35 years in museum design with the same conviction it started with: that cultural spaces deserve the highest standards of technical excellence.
It all began in 1989, at the 9th International Tourism Fair. Two teams working side by side at neighbouring stands discovered that they shared more than just space: a shared understanding of the profession and a desire to achieve something great together. From that shared vision, Proasur was born, with its sights set on Expo ’92 in Seville.
Expo '92, the first major stage
The year 1992 marked a turning point. Spain took centre stage on the world stage with the Barcelona Olympic Games and the Seville World Expo. Proasur was there, building the Principality of Asturias Pavilion and collaborating with the State Society for the 5th Centenary. That international showcase was just the beginning: next came the Hannover Expo 2000, Aichi 2005 and Zaragoza 2008.
Sonymagic: an unprecedented travelling exhibition
In the early 1990s, Proasur designed, produced, installed and managed the large-scale travelling exhibition Sonymagic from start to finish: a project that toured 36 Spanish and 3 Portuguese cities, showcasing Sony’s entire product range in action to distributors and the general public. What began as a tour of six cities ended up expanding significantly due to the overwhelming success of the initiative. That experience forged a logistical capability in travelling exhibitions unrivalled on the national scene, which La Caixa Foundation and other institutions would also later make use of.
From the first museum to a 35-year history in museum work
Building on the experience gained from exhibitions, the first museum was established: the La Rioja Wine Museum at the Haro Oenological Station. At a time when museology was only just beginning to gain recognition in Spain, that project marked the starting point of a specialisation that would make Proasur a national benchmark. It was followed by wine museums across the whole of Spain, including the Provincial Wine Museum at Peñafiel Castle, in the very heart of the Ribera del Duero, and from there, museums covering a wide variety of themes right up to the present day.
In 2005, the opening of the company’s own premises in Olloniego — comprising 5,000 m² of workshops and 500 m² of office space — marked a decisive step forward: new production capabilities, integrated processes, and the base from which the company would tackle its most ambitious international projects.
Today, from these very same facilities, installations for museums across several continents are manufactured and pre-assembled, with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications ensuring the quality of every process.
35 years of museum curation as a guarantee for the future
Photograph: © OAAM Oman
An anniversary is not just a look back at the past. It is also a statement of intent. Proasur is celebrating its 35th anniversary with the same spirit that inspired its founding: a desire to take on projects that no one has attempted before, to be the technical partner that creative teams need to bring their most ambitious designs to life, and to continue helping culture reach more people in more parts of the world.
Thank you to all our customers, partners and teams who have been part of this journey.
You can find out about some of the projects that form part of this story in our portfolio of museums and visitor centres.
