The Construction of the New Training and Congress of Fuerteventura Building Reaches its Zenith with the Installation of a 24m Joist.

The President of the Cabildo visits the site accompanied by the Mayor of Puerto Del Rosario and the members of the theatre company who performed the opera Tosca.

The construction of this new building reached a peak today with the installation of a joist of length 24m, width 4.5m, and weight 20,000 kilos. The installation of this joist is part of the second phase of the work on this building, which is being constructed in the Paseo Maritimo, Los Pozos, Puerto del Rosario. The joist supports all the structure of the stage “box”, from which hangs all the central stage machinery.

This second phase has cost 4.5 million euros and after it is completed the project will move on to installing the interior fittings and external finishing, with an expected completion date in the second quarter of 2007.

The President of the Cabildo, Mario Cabrera, visited the site this morning (May 4th), accompanied by the Mayor of Puerto del Rosario, Manuel Cabrera, the Minister for Infrastructure, Jesús León and some of the actors, musicians and technicians, who last night presented the opera La Tosca in Puerto del Rosario.

The new building is a project that combines its emblematic character and its privileged position next to the Paseo Maritimo, with its functionality, to be able to combine the activities of the congress with cultural programs and teaching. For the President of the Cabildo, Mario Cabrera, the investment is part of the approach that believes “investment in culture is an investment in the future, and that in this project that is being realised.”

On the ground floor, the construction of which is finished, the building has stores, changing rooms, electrical switchboards, and an area that acts as a housing for the air conditioning that will supply cool air to the seating area of the auditorium without any type of noise, so as not to affect its acoustics.

The well of the stage has been designed in a modular form, with lifts, from functional wood. The same applies to the orchestral area, which is large enough to accommodate any type of musical grouping.

Overlooking the Sea.

The Congress Building has an almost elliptical footprint and has 5 floors. “The objective is that this building combines the double purpose of housing the congress and acting a centre of training that complements that that already exists in the areas of music, art and artistic crafts, UNED, etc. It will create an improvement in the governmental services relating to tourism and training. All this with integrated solutions, on the sea front of the city, open to the sea, multipurpose, and set within an area that has sporting, cultural and leisure facilities” explained the president of the Cabildo, Mario Cabrera.

The Cabildo approved the project in 2002, based on a proposal by the architect Jorge Sastre, who was the winner of a competition held previously. The completed building will have a useful area of 12,272 m2. The utilisation of the five floors of the building will take advantage of the unevenness of the existing land.

The first floor includes an exhibition room, an 1100 seat auditorium, and the congress offices, two multipurpose classrooms with a capacity of 106 and 132, a cafeteria, four cloakrooms, a waiting room and stores.

The second floor will include the public access and information area and a connection to the adjoining pedestrianised area.

The third floor will be used by UNED with a multi-purpose classroom with theatre, videoconference and examination room, 12 other classrooms and a computer laboratory etc.

The fourth floor, to be used by the music school will have a classrooms for chorus and orchestra, piano, dance, composition, 24 rooms for individual instrument tuition, 9 for non instrumental and chamber music, 9 for instrumental teaching, and an independent zone for folklore, as well as administration etc.

The top floor will be dedicated to the teaching of applied arts and artistic crafts; seven theory rooms, a drawing classroom, 5 workshops for printing, modelling, engraving etc.) as well as a library and administration area.

This solution will allow each floor to be used independently from the rest, with its environment being adjusted by individual controls.

The aesthetic criteria has taken into consideration the traditions of the city, and the site of the building, close to the port. The northern and southern faces have been designed so as to create the silhouette of a grounded ship. The façade facing the sea has been designed as a closed scenic space, with tinted windows allowing a view of the sea and horizon.

© "sunnyfuerteventura.com 2006"

Return to top of page