Santiago Calatrava, the architect behind the Tenerife Auditorium ‘Adán Martín’, has declined to oversee the renovation project of the building, yet he will submit the design this November, honouring the agreement made with the current Cabildo governing team following the resumption of discussions with the architect.
Juan Carlos Pérez Frías, the insular director of the Treasury, emphasised that the socialist administration “failed to reach satisfactory agreements with Calatrava and the construction firms involved in the project, causing considerable delays in the Auditorium’s restoration.”
He further noted that upon taking office, “a negotiation space was established to prevent any further delays in the refurbishment of this iconic structure.” “After four years without progress, we managed to secure a written commitment from Calatrava to deliver the restoration plans, setting a deadline for November of this year. This completes the initial phase of a much-anticipated repair process,” Pérez Frías elaborated.
Following the submission of the technical restoration project, the next step will involve appointing a construction manager to oversee the execution of repairs. Originally, the Cabildo requested Calatrava to take on this role to assure the continuity of the project.
Nonetheless, the architect has declined the role, stating that he is not “currently qualified to undertake that direction.” In light of this refusal, the Cabildo has opted to advance with the subsidiary execution of this phase of the process, which entails that the insular Corporation will invite tenders for hiring a specialised firm to manage the construction.
To ensure fiscal responsibility, the Cabildo has approved a credit modification that guarantees the availability of funds necessary for the construction management, clarifying that the expenses related to this contract will be directly attributed to the architect and will not ultimately be incurred by the insular Corporation. This strategy enables the Cabildo to proceed with the restoration process without awaiting the conclusive outcome of the judicial proceedings, the resolution of which could be significantly postponed.
The Treasury director emphasised that this action is undertaken solely to expedite the commencement of the works. “The Cabildo will not definitively bear the cost of the construction management. We have earmarked this amount of one million euros purely to prevent further delays in a process that has already persisted for many years, but this responsibility will be passed on to Calatrava. Our primary goal is to ensure the restoration of the Auditorium, and we are acting decisively in the public’s interest,” Pérez Frías asserted.
STAGES OF RESTORATION
The restoration strategy for the Auditorium is divided into multiple stages, with the first being the creation of the project, which Santiago Calatrava will submit in November 2024. Following this submission, the second stage will involve the appointment of the construction director, which will be undertaken by a company that the Cabildo will engage on a subsidiary basis due to Calatrava’s refusal. Ultimately, the execution phase of the work will be assigned to the UTE responsible for the original construction of the Auditorium.
The Tenerife Cabildo reaffirms its dedication to executing the restoration of the Tenerife Adán Martín Auditorium with transparency and resolve, adhering to the principles of responsibility and serving the interests of citizens, as stated by the Minister of the Treasury.
