The Extraordinary Governing Board held yesterday, chaired by the mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, approved the specifications to bid for the rehabilitation work of the main building of the Viera y Clavijo Cultural Park and its protection environment BIC, for 12.4 million. The main milestones of this work go through the recovery of the central building, with the repair of structures, gaining exhibition spaces, or making the roof of the building passable to host activities.
As for the exterior, the wall remains, but it will be set back to gain space on the sidewalk of Avenida de la Asunción, and it will become smaller right at the entrance so that the gardens can be seen better. New vegetation will also be planted, such as the ficus and bamboo wall in the northern part of the park to provide comfort for the playground that will be located in that part.
It is a tender “that will allow the rehabilitation of this emblematic space for the citizens of the capital, which contemplates an investment of more than 12 million and for whose reform this city has waited a long time,” explained Bermúdez.
The recovery of this emblematic public space will allow it to be rehabilitated for the different uses that are projected in it, among others, those linked to the Department of Culture, which will go on the ground floor. There will be four multi-purpose rooms per floor, precisely for the purpose of providing training courses and workshops in the artistic-cultural field for students and/or local artists.
In addition, the project has left the rooms open so that they can be adapted to specific needs, still undefined. On the other hand, the central volume, the old chapel, is left as a flexible exhibition hall space, where at the same time talks can be given, cultural forums, traveling exhibitions, etc. can be held. There is also a cafeteria in the semi-basement, linked to the outside and in relation to the park with independent access from the outside.
It will also have a passable roof that will be conditioned for carrying out outdoor activities, with magnificent views over the immediate surroundings of the city, and it will also mean the recovery of the surroundings of this Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC) where Action will be taken, specifically, in the park area, where it will be conditioned and opened to the outside, in order to allow a better relationship between the park and the city. In addition to all this, half of the space will be dedicated to the future Rodin Museum of Santa Cruz.
Dámaso Arteaga, mayor of Works in charge of this action, highlights that “we are talking about a project of about 12.4 million that goes out to tender after quite some time, after passing the pertinent reports from the different departments that it had to consider when being a BIC, among them the Historical Heritage of the Cabildo”. “The work -Arteaga anticipates- will extend during 2023, 2024 and surely 2025 and the intention is the rehabilitation of the building that includes multidisciplinary spaces to generate cultural activities of all kinds.”
Intervention
The comprehensive rehabilitation of the building will be carried out, providing it with accessibility on all its floors, with the construction of four new vertical communication cores, with the installation of two new freight elevators, and two high-capacity elevators in each of the wings of the building. , from the basements to the roof, so that it allows full accessibility. The existing wooden staircase in the south wing will also be restored.
The flat roof will be replaced, as well as all the sills that are damaged. At a structural level, the existing floors will be reinforced, and those that are damaged or non-existent will be replaced. New concrete and wrought iron walls will be built for stairwells, elevators and changing rooms; there will be a new deck structure; and the chapel apse area will be reinforced, among other actions.
Likewise, the property will be provided with energy efficiency through a multifunctional ring in which the light, air conditioning and telecommunications installations will be located.
Environment
Regarding the interventions that will be carried out in the surroundings of the Cultural Park, new vegetation compatible with the existing one is incorporated. The wall located on Avenida de la Asunción will also be set back, thus improving pedestrian traffic on said street, both aesthetically and functionally, or the creation of a hatching wall located on Avenida de la Asunción up to the main access, which is characterized by its reduced height, thus improving visibility into the park and allowing greater security in the environment.
The conservation and rehabilitation of the existing wall on Avenida CD Tenerife (formerly San Sebastián) is also planned, or the introduction of a parterre on Avenida de la Asunción, to which is added the creation of a loading and unloading area and/or parking temporary.