The Tenerife Auditorium

The Tenerife Auditorium, designed by the architect Santiago Calatrava, falls within the tenets of late modernist
architecture of the end of the century. Following the words of its architect, the origin of these forms is part of a
gesture of self-marked plastic intention, which makes the artistic nature of the activities inside transcend to the
outside.

Its construction began in 1997 and ended in

2003, and was inaugurated on September
23 of that year.

The building, described architectural engineering, “has

no facade…” and it produces “multiple suggestions”. To
some, it has the form “of a wave, for others, moon, or
hull or a huge tongue.” In any case, Calatrava is happy
to be “suggestive” because “so too is the music.”
 SPACES
The building was built on a parcel of 23,000 m², of which the auditorium occupies 6471 m². It is divided into
two chambers, the rest are gardens, plazas or entrances and a parking lot with 260 spaces.

Under the platforms that surround the building, the units are attached to the Auditorium, as well as others
that make up the set, such as a multipurpose center with the potential for a wide range of cultural activities.

The interior spaces also offer

a great variety, the Chamber
Symphony is an impressive
aesthetic and the Chamber
Room is very versatile and
intimate.
 MATERIAL& CONSTRUCTION
Calatrava has been tilted in this play by the reinforced
concrete because – as he said, it allows you to mold forms,
defying the laws of gravity, like the edge, falling from the sky
in the Auditorium of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
 MATERIAL& CONSTRUCTION

The overhanging wing was prefabricated in Seville and

shipped to the island in 17 pieces, the largest weighing 60
tons (54,000 kilograms). They were similar to components
more commonly used in bridges. The wing was lifted into
place by a specially made crane from Valencia, which has a
capacity of 2,400 tons (two million kilograms).
During construction, temporary ramparts supported the
The wing was designed to be supported on only five points. workers as they fastened triangular sheets of glass onto a hall
Once in place, it was filled with white concrete made locally ceiling. At the height of construction, there were four 150-
from a combination of river sand brought from the Spanish foot- (45-meter-) high cranes and four 33-foot- (10-meter-)
peninsula and the coarser Tenerife sand. In all, 2000 tons (1.8 high cranes in operation.
million kilograms) of concrete went into the building.
MATERIAL& CONSTRUCTION
The symphony hall has a "variable" acoustic system. Surface
materials are solid pressed wood covered with fiberglass. This
assembly has "windows" that open and close, exposing either
the fiberglass material or the wood, depending on the
acoustical requirements of the event. The back walls of the
chamber music hall are covered with horizontal wood slats,
with fiberglass behind them.

The two performance halls are equipped with air-conditioning

outlets below the seats. Cool air comes up from spaces below,
eliminating the need for HVAC installations that would
disturb the clean lines of the halls. The two halls are separated
by a shared, open lobby that creates an acoustical separation
so events can be held simultaneously in both.
 MATERIAL& CONSTRUCTION

The white cement was used in the

work of Tipo III. In the mixture,
using a high proportion of sand
and titanium dioxide enhances the
whiteness of the mixture. Once
dried, it was decorated with the
“trecandis” finish that characterizes
the works of Gaudi, consisting of a
ceramic material of sensitive
application that was used with
dimensions less than eight cm thick.

Because of the forms, the cast was made with pallets and a
table mesh surfaced that sometimes barely reached 12 cm in
width, in which were implemented agents to avoid the “holes
of insects.”
 STRUCTURE
The building is comprised of a base of successive
platforms from which protrudes the heavy curved shell
of the main hall, which becomes the generator of the
building in both its formal and structural aspects. The
large dust jacket affixed at about fifty meters high, it
provides flexibility and movement of the body as if it
were animated.

The precast concrete ribbed roof of the main auditorium is

constructed from two intersecting cone segments. An
approximately 15-degree wedge is missing from the centre,
providing the two segments with the appearance of a
pronounced ridge.

The concrete building is characterised by its

dramatic arch roof which sweeps up from the base to a
height of 58 m and curves over the main auditorium
like a crashing wave. Being supported by only two
points with the narrowed tip appearing to be
suspended, it was the first arch of its kind in the world.