Controversy arises in the Tenerife Island Council regarding the renovation project of the Adán Martín Auditorium. The Director of Finance, Juan Carlos Pérez Frías, announced on Friday that the island authority had reached an agreement with the architect behind it, the Valencian Santiago Calatrava, to manage the restoration of a facility that, as recently stated by President Rosa Dávila, is in a state of disrepair.
The ruling coalition, led by Coalición Canaria (CC), criticises the previous government, from the PSOE, for being “ineffective” in progressing with the resolution of the conflict surrounding the refurbishment of a building inaugurated in 2003. The cost of the building was three times higher than initially planned (74 million euros) and has experienced issues such as falling mosaics, leaks, dampness, and structural problems, as reported. The Director of Finance for the island stated, “Since assuming responsibility, the Cabildo has successfully overcome the stagnant situation by reopening negotiations that had previously stalled.”
The island administration assures that the renovation project will be finished by November 2024. The initial budget for repairs, set in 2018, totals 18.1 million euros, including an additional five million to cater for unforeseen circumstances that may necessitate the suspension of cultural activities.
On the other hand, the PSOE expressed disappointment that Calatrava is dictating the actions of the Cabildo and blamed the current government of “shifting the blame” to the socialists. The PSOE spokesperson, Pedro Martín, lamented the situation, recalling that during his presidency in May 2022, his government had given a deadline to the architect to present a renovation project for the auditorium by January 2024, a period of 19 months.
“It was supposed to be delivered six months ago. However, the current government has extended the deadline by another year,” citing the decision made in November of the previous year by Rosa Dávila’s government to grant the architect an additional twelve months, further delaying a resolution to the Auditorium’s state. Pedro Martín asserted, “Given the deteriorating condition of the Auditorium, the Cabildo should not be siding with Calatrava.”
The general secretary of the PSOE in Tenerife has also questioned whether the Cabildo is favouring Calatrava, by allowing him to subcontract the drafting of the project and potentially overlooking required reports and studies for the project.
Cultural Events
The Tenerife Island Council aims to ensure that the renovation of the Auditorium does not impact its cultural events schedule and avoids closure, similar to the successful approach taken during the renovation of the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, also designed by Calatrava.
In a statement released recently, the island administration highlights that the dispute has persisted over the years, stemming from the detection of defects in the building’s cladding, specifically the trencadis style characteristic of Calatrava’s projects.
In 2016, the then President of the Cabildo, Carlos Alonso (CC), commissioned a report from Intemac to evaluate the condition of the building, resulting in a report that concluded the following:**Architect Santiago Calatrava urged for project extension for Lanzarote Auditorium renovations**
Following a detailed report, the cladding issues on the Lanzarote Auditorium were found to stem from poor adhesion to surfaces and other factors such as the rigidity of the grouting mortar and building stresses. Subsequently, in 2018, repairs amounting to €18,165,492.63 were mandated, with blame placed on all parties involved in the construction process, including architect Santiago Calatrava and the UTE consortium comprising Acciona Construcción, Dragados, and Promotora Punta Larga.
Representatives convened in July 2019 aiming to reach an out-of-court settlement akin to the one achieved for the Valencia Auditorium. Negotiations began, and proceedings were temporarily halted as per the judge’s recommendation.
CC criticises the government, alleging a lack of progress in negotiations, leading to the necessity of a forced execution request in 2022, which the PSOE refers to as an “ultimatum”.
“In May 2023, amid the election campaign, Calatrava approached the Cabildo, expressing readiness to draft the project, proposing a revised deadline,” shared the island government. Eventually, on September 27, 2023, an agreement was reached to extend the project deadline until November 2024.
Pérez Frías deems this extension as the most suitable resolution for public interest and prompt repair completion. Underlining the legal necessity of the architect’s involvement due to copyright ownership, he emphasised that avoiding a public tender would prevent further delays in the Auditorium’s restoration process.
