Unique Santa Cruz Silo Faces Demolition as Deadline Looms
Santa Cruz de Tenerife's unique 1965 port silo faces imminent €1.5 million demolition due to disuse and lack of lease offers, even as architects seek investors to repurpose the unprotected historic structure.
The old port silo on the San Andrés highway in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is nearing a crucial decision about its future. The Port Authority's deadline for its lease is about a month and a half away, and without any formal offers, the silo is set to be torn down. This demolition is expected to cost around 1.5 million euros, according to sources from DIARIO DE AVISOS.
Built in 1965, the silo was designed to ensure a steady supply of cereals during a time of food shortages in Europe after the First World War. It's considered a unique structure globally due to its specific design (Type P classification). However, after more than 30 years of disuse, it's now in very poor condition. This advanced deterioration is the main reason the Port Authority gives for wanting to demolish it. Pedro Suárez, president of Ports of Tenerife, noted that past efforts to find new uses for the silo, both for food storage and other purposes, failed to attract interest, leading to the current plan for its removal.
Last November, the College of Architects of Tenerife, La Gomera, and El Hierro (COA) stepped in. They met with the Port Authority to discuss saving the silo. As a result, the COA was given six months to find ways to lease and repurpose the building. María Nieves Febles, the dean of the COA, confirmed that a special team is still actively looking for investors to transform the silo into new spaces like gyms, markets, restaurants, or offices, hoping to prevent its demolition. Febles expressed sadness at the thought of losing this chance to save the building.
The silo's future is made even more uncertain because it's not included in the Santa Cruz City Council's list of protected heritage buildings. An earlier draft of this document had recognized the silo's historical importance, suggesting a level of "Environmental protection" that would have preserved its shape, height, roofs, and outer walls. However, the final version of the document, approved on February 28, left out the silo, removing an important layer of protection for its heritage.