SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 31st Oct (EUROPA PRESS) –
Santiago Calatrava, the architect behind the Tenerife Auditorium ‘Adán Martín’, has declined to oversee the renovation project of the building but is set to deliver the plans this November, thereby honouring the agreement made with the current Cabildo administration following the resumption of discussions with the architect.
Juan Carlos Pérez Frías, insular director of the Treasury, noted that the socialist government “failed to establish satisfactory agreements with Calatrava and the construction firms involved, which considerably hindered the restoration of the Auditorium.”
He further mentioned that upon assuming office, “a negotiation space was initiated to prevent additional delays in the restoration of this iconic structure.” “After four years of stasis, we succeeded in getting Calatrava to agree to manage the drafting of the restoration project, setting a deadline of November of this year. This marks the completion of the first phase of a long-awaited repair process,” Pérez Frías elucidated.
Once the technical restoration project is submitted, the subsequent step will involve appointing a construction manager to oversee the implementation of the repairs. Initially, the Cabildo requested Calatrava himself to take on this role to ensure the project’s continuity.
Nonetheless, the architect has turned down the offer, expressing that he is not “qualified at this moment to undertake such direction.” In light of this rejection, the Cabildo has opted to proceed with the alternative execution of this segment of the process, meaning the insular Corporation will tender a specialised company to manage the construction.
To ensure financial accountability, the Cabildo has sanctioned a credit modification that guarantees the allocation of funds necessary for construction management, clarifying that the cost of this contract will be directly charged to the architect and will not be ultimately borne by the insular Corporation. This strategy allows the Cabildo to advance with the restoration process without awaiting the final adjudication of the legal proceedings, the resolution of which could be significantly postponed.
The Treasury director underscored that this action is taken with the singular aim of expediting the commencement of the works. “The Cabildo is not prepared to cover the costs of construction management permanently. We have earmarked this budget of one million euros solely to circumvent further delays in a process that has already persisted for many years, but it is a liability that will be shifted to Calatrava. Our priority is to ensure the restoration of the Auditorium, and we are acting decisively in the public interest,” Pérez Frías stressed.
STAGES OF REHABILITATION
The rehabilitation plan for the Auditorium is organised into several stages, the first of which is the drafting of the project, anticipated to be delivered in November 2024 by Santiago Calatrava. Following this submission, the second stage will involve the appointment of a construction director, which in this instance will be undertaken by a company contracted by the Cabildo on a subsidiary basis due to Calatrava’s refusal. Ultimately, the material execution phase of the work will be the responsibility of the UTE that originally constructed the Auditorium.
The Tenerife Cabildo reaffirms its dedication to executing the restoration of the Tenerife Adán Martín Auditorium with transparency and determination, adhering to principles of responsibility for the benefit of the community, assures the Treasury Minister.
