The Institut Valencià d’Art Modern (IVAM) is part of València’s Climate Refuge Network, promoted by the City Council, and serves as an accessible, climate-controlled and comfortable public space for citizens. In this way, the museum expands its social role by providing a place for people to meet, rest and seek protection during periods of high temperatures.
IVAM makes its waiting and rest areas available to the public, with armchairs and climate control set to a comfortable temperature, as well as accessible public toilets and drinking fountains providing filtered and chilled water. These services help ensure appropriate conditions for well-being, particularly for people who are more vulnerable to the effects of heat.
Climate refuges are accessible spaces that provide suitable thermal comfort during periods of high temperatures through climate control or shaded areas, access to drinking water, rest areas and other basic services. Being part of this network reinforces IVAM’s commitment to social well-being and to building a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient city.
IVAM’s role as a climate refuge is integrated into its very nature as a public space dedicated to art, culture and thought. The museum offers an environment where people can seek shelter from the heat while also having free access to rest areas, exhibitions, activities and cultural programmes.
This cultural dimension allows the museum to be understood as a space for care and encounter, where people’s well-being forms part of its public role. Culture thus becomes a tool for fostering coexistence, reflection and the development of more sustainable and resilient communities.
IVAM’s commitment to sustainability also extends to its programme and its relationship with its surroundings. Through exhibitions, installations and activities, the museum addresses issues related to the environment, the care of ecosystems and our relationship with the territory, incorporating these perspectives into the visitor experience.
Being a climate refuge therefore means expanding the museum’s role beyond its exhibition spaces: making IVAM a place of welcome, protection, learning and encounter for the public.