The Island Government has resolved the longstanding issue at the Adán Martín Auditorium in Tenerife by bringing architect Santiago Calatrava on board for the restoration project, set to be finished by November. The Finance Director, Juan Carlos Pérez Frías, elaborates, “The previous administration was at a standstill for four years in resolving the conflict with Calatrava and the construction firms. Since we took charge, we successfully unlocked the impasse, reinitiated negotiations that had broken down, and achieved a crucial milestone to kickstart the restoration works, including the drafting of the necessary technical project.”
Reopening negotiations was pivotal to ensure the repairs’ continuity. The initial budget set for the repairs in 2018 stands at €18.1 million, with an additional €5 million earmarked for potential contingencies that may necessitate the suspension of cultural activities.
The Council aims to proceed with the repair works without disrupting the cultural events at the Auditorium, thus averting its closure. An exhaustive technical assessment will ensure that any decisions made prioritise the building’s safety and operational efficiency.
The conflict traces back several years to the building’s completion, when flaws were uncovered in the trencadis cladding. In 2016, President Carlos Alonso appointed Intemac to conduct a study assessing the building’s condition. The study attributed the faults to inadequate adhesion to surfaces, as well as other factors like “grout rigidity and structural stresses.”
By 2018, the repair order was issued, assigning responsibility for the defects to the parties involved in the construction process, including architect Calatrava and the consortium comprising Acciona Construcción, Dragados, and Promotora Punta Larga. The estimated repair cost at that time amounted to €18,165,492.
In July 2019, the parties appeared before a Magistrate and agreed to pause the legal proceedings for negotiations. However, “This was concurrent with the change in leadership at the Island Government, as the previous administration failed to make progress in over three years, culminating in the need for legal enforcement of the agreement in 2022,” he points out.
