A museum or a theatre is much more than a building. It is heritage, activity, and experience. Often, these venues are works of art in their own right, safeguarding other cultural expressions, whether temporary or permanent. This reality makes Facility Management a particularly complex and strategic discipline within cultural spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was one of the central themes of the conference organized by the Catalan Facility Management Association (ACFM) at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, which brought together Isaac Mart\u00edn (Gran Teatre del Liceu), Rosa Mar\u00eda S\u00e1nchez (Picasso Museum), Xavier Abell\u00f3 (MNAC), and Alejandro Novella (Serveo), under the moderation of Josep Ort\u00ed, Vice President of ACFM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event gathered around forty industry professionals, who later enjoyed a guided tour of the theatre\u2019s facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The conference forms part of the lead-up to the inaugural Facility Management Barcelona Congress 2026, which will take place on November 25, 26, and 27 at the Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau and is organized by ACFM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The role of the Facility Manager has evolved significantly in recent years. Xavier Abell\u00f3 summarized this transformation with a meaningful statement:\u201cWe have moved from infrastructure and maintenance to general services.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This shift reflects the evolution of a traditionally operational function into an increasingly strategic and cross-functional role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Isaac Mart\u00edn explained that at the Liceu, \u201cFacility Management is part of the organization\u2019s strategic plan, and technology has brought FM into many cultural spaces.\u201d Meanwhile, Alejandro Novella highlighted that the democratization of cultural venues, immersive experiences, and the adoption of new technologies have increased the complexity of facilities and, consequently, the responsibilities of FM teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rosa Mar\u00eda S\u00e1nchez added that \u201cthe constant changes taking place in these facilities are only possible through a cross-functional organizational vision, where Facility Management plays a direct role in achieving the institution\u2019s objectives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The uniqueness of cultural facilities was one of the main points of consensus throughout the conference. The challenge is not simply maintaining buildings, but preserving heritage, ensuring operational continuity, and delivering a high-quality visitor experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFacility Managers are very important, but we do not matter,\u201d remarked Xavier Abell\u00f3, highlighting a profession that often becomes visible only when something goes wrong. He also emphasized the importance of preventive maintenance and the need to prioritize functionality, an aspect that is sometimes overlooked in favor of architectural or artistic considerations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In museums, the complexity is even greater. Rosa Mar\u00eda S\u00e1nchez recalled the challenges of managing historic buildings that must simultaneously comply with regulatory requirements, budget constraints, and heritage conservation needs.\u201cFacilities are not like fine wine; they do not improve with age.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the Liceu, the constraints are different but equally demanding. \u201cThe theatre\u2019s activity both limits and defines the work of FM,\u201d explained Isaac Mart\u00edn. Rehearsals, stage setups, and performances coexist continuously and condition any technical intervention. These challenges are compounded by the investment needs of a building that has been in operation for almost three decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Digitalization occupied a significant part of the discussion. Participants agreed that the challenge is no longer having more technology, but identifying which tools truly add value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Isaac Mart\u00edn warned that the proliferation of digital solutions requires careful selection to prevent them from generating more workload than benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alejandro Novella focused on the quality of information:\u201cWhich data really create value?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to him, the future lies in integrating tools, leveraging the potential of artificial intelligence, and working with reliable, well-captured data, while recognizing that many services still retain a strong human component.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Josep Ort\u00ed reminded attendees that this transformation is not only technological.\u201cWe need different resources, as well as cultural and administrative changes.\u201d As he noted, digital transformation also requires organizations to adapt their structures and ways of working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The relationship with service providers was another key topic of the conference. Participants agreed that suppliers must move beyond being simple service executors and become strategic partners. \u201cProviders can help services evolve,\u201d stated Alejandro Novella.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the perspective of cultural institutions, Xavier Abell\u00f3 called for experience and shared commitment, while Rosa Mar\u00eda S\u00e1nchez emphasized the value of specialized teams and low staff turnover as essential factors in ensuring service quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The discussion also addressed the complexity of procurement processes and the challenges they create in facilities with continuous operations, where any disruption can directly impact both service delivery and the visitor experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The conference clearly demonstrated that Facility Management is undergoing a profound transformation. It is becoming more strategic, more cross-functional, and more closely aligned with organizational objectives than ever before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cultural spaces represent one of the most demanding environments for FM professionals. Preserving heritage, ensuring operational continuity, embracing technology, managing limited resources, and meeting user expectations require a combination of technical expertise, management skills, and strategic vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because managing a museum or a theatre means far more than managing a building. It means preserving works of art that, very often, exist within other works of art.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A museum or a theatre is much more than a building. It is heritage, activity, and experience. Often, these venues are works of art in their own right, safeguarding other cultural expressions, whether temporary or permanent. This reality makes Facility Management a particularly complex and strategic discipline within cultural spaces. This was one of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1556,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n