Childhood and Early Career
José Blasco Robles was born in Almería in 1904 and later moved to Tarragona with his parents. He pursued his studies in architecture in Barcelona and completed them in 1928. Subsequently, he relocated to Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where he commenced working at the Municipal Technical Office of the City Council. In 1931, he was appointed as the Municipal Architect and then became the head of the Municipal Technical Office in 1937. In 1945, he left this position to pursue his profession in Madrid at the National Institute of Industry.
Contributions to Urban Planning
In 1930, José Blasco was part of the team that drafted the expansion and interior reform plan for Santa Cruz de Tenerife, marking the city’s first modern urban planning document. Additionally, he was responsible for executing the general urbanization plan for Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1933.
Notable Works
José Blasco’s remarkable architectural contributions include the construction of the Asuncionistas and Serrador bridges. He also planned the streets of Pilar, Méndez Nuñez, San Sebastián, and the extension of the Rambla de Santa Cruz to align with Anaga Avenue. In his private projects, he designed various buildings, each characterized by modernity and devoid of emotional charge, drawing inspiration from German expressionism. Some of these projects include the single-family homes Casa Rodríguez Pastrana (1931), Statistics House (1932), Mascareño House (1934), and Casa Armas Marrero (1932).
Legacy
José Blasco Robles also made significant contributions to the iconic cityscape of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, leaving behind an enduring legacy through the construction of structures such as the Fray Albino School Group (1939) and the CEPSA warehouse (1957). Not limiting his artistry to architecture, he also created the Climate Monument, an impressive sculpture displayed in the García Sanabria Park. This monument is characterized by two stone prisms with a thermometer between them, topped by a unique turtle sculpture initially encased in an iron sphere adorned with zodiac signs and the silhouette of the island of Tenerife.
