Fortress House, a new private contemporary art museum set in a refurbished colonial-era building on the tip of the Iberian peninsula, will open to the public in autumn 2025. The museum will be the first of its kind in Gibraltar, boasting a vast collection of works created after 1970.
The museum, founded by an anonymous collector, will be located in what was previously the Governor of Gibraltar’s residence. Local firm Gamma Architects were tapped to enhance the eighteenth-century building while maintaining its Georgian features. The redesign will include a double-height space on the first floor to host largescale artist commissions, as well as two cafés, an art education centre and a rooftop sculpture garden.
Under the direction of Henry Little, Fortess House’s programme will focus on works that address ‘the individual’s relationship with society and the pressures that shape identity’ with an eye to foster ‘a more inclusive art historical narrative’. Female artists feature prominently in the collection, including works by the likes of Louise Bourgeois, Tracey Emin, Jenny Holzer, Zanele Muholi, Cindy Sherman and Shirin Neshat.
‘We’re trying to define Gibraltar as a cultural destination,’ Little told Ocula. ‘That scale of ambition is large but is very much in line with the scale of the investment and commitment we are making.’
