The Cabildo of Tenerife will allocate 750,000 euros towards enhancing accessibility in the Adán Martín Auditorium. This resolution was ratified during the Government Council meeting held this Wednesday, following the initiative of Tenerife’s island councillor for Culture and Museums, José Carlos Acha. Nonetheless, exterior repairs have yet to be initiated, despite Rosa Dávila, the Cabildo’s president, acknowledging in June that the building “is falling apart.”
Acha believes that the 750,000 euros will “enhance access for individuals with disabilities throughout their experience in the Auditorium, from arrival at the ticket booths to the lavatories, including the installation of a magnetic loop for improved hearing.”
These initiatives, which will be implemented by the end of 2025, are part of the Accessibility Plan for the Tenerife Auditorium, developed in collaboration with the Insular Society for the Promotion of People with Disabilities (Sinpromi).
One of the key aims of this plan is to propose measures that improve accessibility, adopting an inclusive approach that assures equal opportunities for all individuals intending to visit the Tenerife Auditorium, as explained by the Cabildo. Consequently, a strategy has been devised to prioritise the execution of the planned actions, in line with the budget allocated by the Council, which will enable the acquisition of the Universal Accessibility Management System certificate under the UNE ISO 170001-2-2007 standard.
The assessment of accessibility conditions is approached from multiple angles (physical, sensory, and cognitive) to appraise the functional attributes of the usage chains available within the Tenerife Auditorium.
Damage
The Tenerife Auditorium incurred a cost of 74 million euros (12 million for the architect, Fernando Calatrava), which is three times the initial budget of 26 million, and its completion was significantly delayed. Presently, it exhibits numerous damages to its façade and roof, along with areas of deterioration on the interior.
As reported by this newspaper a few months ago, the ongoing deterioration, including the increasing chipping of the trencadís—the renowned cover crafted from small, gleaming fragments of white ceramic found in this and other works by Calatrava—as well as pervasive interior dampness and visible repairs made with simple insulating tape, creates a dismal impression. This situation is compounded by the utter dismay felt by the Cabildo of Tenerife, as they currently cannot address these unsightly defects. The repairs, estimated at 2.6 million euros in 2017, are embroiled in legal proceedings between the architect and the construction firms involved in the project (Dragados, Acciona, and Promotora Punta Larga, the latter linked to a businessman imprisoned over the Las Teresitas case), since Calatrava is not overseeing the management and execution of the work.
Last June, the Minister of Culture, José Carlos Acha, acknowledged to Canarias Ahora his frustration at how the years are passing without resolution of this situation, as the deterioration escalates, further tarnishing the image of the auditorium and, by extension, one of the island’s most iconic buildings. Acha emphasised that the routine assessments regarding the structure, particularly concerning whether the degradation and dampness pose any risk, indicate that there is currently no danger. Therefore, cultural activities and other events within the auditorium (which houses a café popular among residents and tourists) continue, in this already iconic site adjacent to the Santacrucero port, the famous Black Castle, the maritime park, and the Palmetum.
