Tenerife Auditorium Repair Project Moves Forward as Public Exhibition Begins
The Tenerife Island Council has launched the public exhibition phase for a 17.6 million euro restoration project to repair the iconic auditorium's damaged ceramic cladding, with work slated to begin this September.
The long-running dispute over the Tenerife Auditorium is finally nearing a resolution. The Island Council (Cabildo) has officially opened the public exhibition period for the repair project designed by architect Santiago Calatrava. This document outlines the plan to restore the building’s damaged ceramic cladding. If the procurement process goes to plan, work is expected to begin this September and will take approximately 32 months to complete.
The 17.6 million euro project aims to fix issues with the trencadís (mosaic) tiling and water leaks that have affected the building’s structure since 2017. This move follows a court recommendation for the Cabildo, the architect, and the construction firms—Acciona and Dragados—to reach a settlement. The goal is to end a legal battle that has already generated nearly 70,000 pages of documents and prevent further deterioration of the building. In the meantime, safety measures remain in place at the Plaza de Los Alisios to protect the public from falling debris.
Despite the progress, the project remains a subject of political debate. The Socialist Group (PSOE) has criticized the timeline, noting that the project is two years behind the schedule set in 2022. PSOE spokesperson Aarón Afonso also raised concerns about the budget, pointing out that while the current plan estimates costs at 16.48 million euros (excluding taxes), previous treasury reports suggested the total could reach 24 million if lost revenue from potential venue closures were included.
The main point of contention remains who will pay for the repairs: the public or the original construction companies. José Miguel Ruano, the Cabildo’s second vice president, stated that the current priority is to begin the physical repairs under court guidance while preserving Calatrava’s original design. If no objections are filed during the 20-day public exhibition period, the Cabildo will move forward with hiring a construction manager to oversee the restoration of this iconic landmark.