The long-running saga surrounding the Adán Martín Auditorium in Santa Cruz may finally be moving towards a solution.
Earlier this year, the Tenerife Island Council (Cabildo) received the final repair project from the building’s architect, Santiago Calatrava, aimed at fixing the problems affecting the auditorium’s exterior mosaic cladding.
For those who know the building, the white tiled surface is one of its most recognisable features. The surface is made from trencadís, a mosaic style made up of small ceramic fragments. Over time, some sections have deteriorated and there have also been issues with water leaks and dampness.
According to the Cabildo, receiving this final project marks a significant step in the negotiations that have been ongoing for several years between the island authorities, the architect and the construction companies involved in the original build.
The aim now is to move things forward so that the necessary repairs can finally begin.
The problems with the building were first formally identified back in 2017, when Cabildo technicians detected damage in some areas of the cladding as well as moisture infiltration. Following the technical reports, the Cabildo required those responsible for the project, including Calatrava and the construction consortium made up of Acciona Construcción and Dragados, to address the issues.
As you might expect with a project of this scale, the situation quickly became tied up in legal appeals. In 2019 a judge encouraged all parties to reach an agreement, which led to negotiations and a temporary suspension of the legal proceedings.
However, during the 2019 to 2023 term of the Cabildo presidency, no final agreement was reached.
After Rosa Dávila became president of the Cabildo in 2023, negotiations were restarted and a new deadline was given to Calatrava to submit a detailed repair project for the building.
Following several revisions requested by Cabildo technicians, the final version of the project was delivered on February 6th.
The proposal will now be reviewed by the Cabildo’s Architecture and Heritage Department, who will analyse the technical details before any work is approved and scheduled.
In the meantime, the island authorities say precautionary measures will continue to be taken around the building where necessary to prevent any risk to the public.
For Tenerife, the Adán Martín Auditorium remains one of the island’s most iconic landmarks, so finally moving forward with the repair work will be welcome news for many.
If you’d like to read the full report and official announcement, you can see the original article here.