The Municipal Palace of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, a distinguished neoclassical edifice situated on Viera y Clavijo Street, which currently accommodates the Mayor’s Office, is set for a thorough refurbishment. This announcement was made to NOTICE DIARY by the Councillor for Works, Infrastructure and Heritage, Javier Rivero, who confirmed that the plan is to commence drafting the renovation project in 2026.
The prospective project, part of the Historical Heritage recovery strategy, aims to reorganise, enhance, and modernise the functions and spaces of what is also referred to as La Casa de los Dragos, named after the two Dracaena draco specimens that flank its grand entrance. The councillor stated that “this is an essential renovation, which will start to take shape once the restoration of the Guimerá Theatre is completed, anticipated to begin next year.”
Rivero revealed that “the plan is to initiate the Municipal Palace project report prior to the end of the current term, with the goal of enabling the property to undergo a comprehensive refurbishment, as it presently lacks air conditioning and, for instance, the plenary hall boasts frescoes from 1904 that require preservation and protection.”
The construction of the present town hall commenced in 1899. The insufficient space in the rooms occupied by the City Council in the former convent of San Pedro de Alcántara, located in Plaza San Francisco, prompted the corporation to enlist architect Antonio Pintor y Ocete to design a Palace of Justice on Viera y Clavijo Street, along with the municipal headquarters, which was erected on the site following the demolition of the Franciscan convent.
Nonetheless, in 1904, the corporation opted to utilise the ground floor of the judicial building, which was still under construction, while the Provincial Court was established on the upper level, rebranded as the Municipal Palace and Superior Courts.
Consequently, the Heritage Councillor emphasised that “since the primary function of the building was as courts, dungeons were constructed in the basement that remain intact today. Furthermore, the municipal archive also requires preparation. The refurbishment of the Municipal Palace is crucial, and in this respect, we aspire to have the project completed as soon as possible, even if its actual execution takes place at a later stage.”
