Tenerife Approves €1.8M Baudet Theater Restoration

The Tenerife Island Council, through its Culture and Museums department, has approved a contract for the restoration of the old Baudet theater in Santa Cruz. This theater is an important historical and cultural landmark for the island. The company Desarrollos e Iniciativas Canarias SL (Deica) will carry out the work, which has a budget of 1.8 million euros.

The restoration project is expected to take twelve months and should begin before next summer. This was announced by island president Rosa Dávila and vice-president Lope Afonso. The project is moving forward after a second bidding process, as no companies responded to the initial call.

The work will focus on strengthening the building's structure, waterproofing its roofs, and restoring its original facade. The Baudet theater, designed by architect Marrero Regalado, first opened in 1944. At the time, it was the largest venue in the Canary Islands, with a capacity for 1,200 spectators.

Developer Ramón Baudet first proposed the theater's creation in 1935. He envisioned it as a versatile space for major theatrical performances and the most advanced film screenings of the era. Councilor José Carlos Acha highlighted a unique construction detail: the amphitheater uses riveted beams, a technique also employed in the Eiffel Tower. This iconic cinema has been inactive since the 1980s.