It unusual of a highway Tenerife surprises the country again. In recent days, images of one of the most curious ways of the Canary Islands, and it is that, under this there is a building of 60 houses.
The Twitter account @NaoCasanova is one of those has shared interesting aspects of the buildingalthough news from various media outlets is added to this, as well as comments and posts from other social network users who talk about the Los Ficus building, located in Mesa del Mar, Tacoronte.
According to the tweet, construction was carried out in the early 1960s “with a view to having a road above it”, which would serve as an access ramp for vehicles to the Mesa del Mar urbanization.
How do you feel the neighbors of this building and what does it mean for them that the road is the roof of the place where they live? Some media have stated that the passage of vehicles, especially the larger ones, generate vibrations and noise in the upper apartments, although this does not affect those located on the first floor.
In DIARIO DE AVISOS we have contacted Borja, who lived for about five years in the “Los Ficus” building, whose house has belonged to his grandmother for a long time.
The house is located in the upper part of the building, however, he comments that “the noises are hardly heard, you even get used to it” and that, perhaps, “what is most noticeable is the heat”.
Another curiosity regarding this building is that “the roof is diagonal, instead of horizontal”. Likewise, referring to the conditions of the building, he comments that recently works were necessary to repair and reinforce the foundations.
“The roof is diagonal, instead of horizontal.”
Borgia
For its part, Luis E. Hernandez Gutierrezauthor of book ‘The beach of La Arena in Tacoronte: History of the stability of a hillside’takes an interesting journey through the history of the coastal area where La Arena beach is located.
This book develops key aspects of the Canary Islands, but above all “it constitutes, from a technical point of view, an excellent example and reference of the study and treatment of instabilities in a rock mass volcanic in nature.
In one of the epigraphs, it exposes the emergence of “the construction of the road that descends the cliff to the coast of Mesa del Mar and the division and urbanization of this coastal space”, an idea promoted by the promoter and builder Arcadio Pérez Dorta. A curious fact is that even his own brothers told him that the idea was crazy, given the steep slope of the area and the composition of the land, but he had an innovative project in his hands.
“His own brothers called the operation crazy, since those lands, given the steep slope and composition of the land, did not have any apparent use.”
Luis E. Hernandez Gutierrez
Thus was born “the construction of a tourist complex in an uninhabited, inaccessible and narrow coastal strip.” Arcadio Pérez associated himself with the promoter Raymon Wilfart and with the architect Carmelo Rodríguez and brought this project to life.
As Luis E. Hernández Gutiérrez states, “they defied nature and built an impossible road through the cliff”, allowing vehicle access to an isolated area. From this point, “they managed to fit the last stretch of road and an apartment building, Los Ficus, into a very small space”.
Origin and evolution of Mesa del Mar
Thanks to the book ‘The beach of La Arena in Tacoronte: History of the stability of a hillside’ we discovered what we know today as sea table.
In its pages it not only explains the origin of the The Ficus buildingbut rather traces the evolution of the different works, such as “the imposing Hotel Sea and Sun, built on a natural platform of basaltic flows at the edge of the sea” or the tunnel, which was a great benefit for the beach.
Well, it exposes all the geological surveys that have been developed due to the containment needs of the rocky wall, as well as the works that have been carried out to keep the area safe.
Another event that took place, in 1990, was “the unpopular but wise decision to demolish illegal housing”. Specifically, 84 shacks, houses and other buildings were demolished, which gave a new image to the beach.
Subsequently, in 1993, “the conflict began over the possible partial demolition of the Mar y Sol building.” However, two years later it was determined that the expropriation of the hotel “involves moral and economic damage, both for the municipality and for the 81 families and owners.” In short, “the building did not present any sign of ruin, it did not impede transit along the coast and, in addition, the construction was there with all the original urban planning laws in force”.
Finally, with the work to improve this coastal area, including the installation of protection systems, La Arena beach receives the Blue flag. Thus, the actions that gave rise to the current Mesa del Mar, together with the improvements to the beach, gave greater prominence to this coastal area in the north of Tenerife, an isolated place 60 years ago.
