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Designed by the American architect Richard Meier, the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona, universally known by its acronym MACBA, is the city's principal museum of contemporary art, occupying a luminous white modernist building in the Raval district that opened in 1995. The building itself, with its gleaming white facade, glass curtain walls, ramps and light-filled interiors, is regarded as a significant work of late twentieth-century architecture and stands in striking contrast to the dense, historic streets of the surrounding neighbourhood. The museum's collection focuses primarily on Catalan, Spanish and international art from the second half of the twentieth century to the present, encompassing painting, sculpture, photography, installation, video and conceptual works. The holdings trace the major movements and figures of post-war and contemporary art, with particular strength in art connected to Barcelona and Catalonia, alongside international pieces, and the museum stages a rotating programme of temporary exhibitions, retrospectives and thematic shows that bring leading contemporary artists to the city. Beyond the galleries, MACBA is a centre for research, debate and education, with a library, public programmes, talks and workshops that engage with critical questions in contemporary culture. The wide plaza in front of the museum, the Placa dels Angels, has become one of the most famous skateboarding spots in the world, its smooth surfaces and ledges drawing skaters from across the globe and giving the area a distinctive youthful energy that contrasts with the institution behind it. The museum sits at the heart of the Raval, a diverse, densely populated and rapidly changing neighbourhood, and its presence has been part of the area's cultural regeneration. Easily reached on foot from La Rambla and the city centre, MACBA draws visitors interested in modern and contemporary art throughout the year across every season of the calendar. Free or discounted admission is offered at certain times, and the museum's library, public programmes and the famous skateboarding plaza outside make it a hub of contemporary culture in the Raval throughout the year across every season.