Guanche Heritage
Little is known about the Guanches, the first inhabitants of the archipelago. But what we do know is largely from the architecture. The Guanches lived mainly in caves and troglodyte dwellings with a complex organization. The Cenobio de Valerón, dug in the mountain ofEl Gallego in Gran Canaria, is the most beautiful example. Wrongly called "monastery"(cenobio), this construction, composed of nearly 300 cavities dug in the rock, was in reality a kind of collective reserve of cereals. In the valley of Agaete, the Necropolis of Maipes presents more than 600 tumuli, heaps of stones covering the burials, testifying to the richness of the funeral rites of the first inhabitants of the island. Another witness of the spirituality of the Guanche people is the Roque Nublo, an impressive 80 m high basalt monolith in the heart of Gran Canaria which the Guanches used as an altar to worship the goddess Abora. Spiritual and functional, this first architecture is far from having revealed all its secrets!
Colonial influences and Canarian style
From the 15th century onwards, the Canary Islands were the object of fierce competition between the Portuguese and Spanish empires before being officially granted by treaty to the Spanish crown. The first constructions of the colonists were fortifications. The Canary Islands were a strategic position that had to be defended, especially against the greed of pirates. Among the most beautiful examples of defensive architecture is the Castillo de Santa Barbara in Teguise. This fortification dating from the 16th century was built... on the rim of a volcano crater. The fortresses, or Casa Fuerte, are multiplying on the archipelago, like in Adeje. Another beautiful example of fortification is the San Juan castle in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, a bastion in the shape of a circle, nicknamed Castillo Negro because of the dark volcanic stone used for its construction. In terms of urban planning, despite the difficulties posed by an often steep terrain, the Spaniards have adapted their traditional layout organized around a central square grouping the major civil and religious buildings. Today, some of these city centers are classified. This is the case of La Laguna, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, of La Orotava, classified as a "Historical and Artistic Complex" and of Garachico, which was awarded the Medal of Fine Arts in 1980. Under the Spanish influence, the buildings are adorned with the colors of the styles in vogue in the Iberian Peninsula, starting with the Baroque, which is found especially in religious buildings. This is the case with the church of San Francisco de Santa Cruz de Tenerife for example. The Mudejar style (art created by Moorish craftsmen working under the aegis of Catholic rulers) is also found in the church and convent of Santa Catalina de Siena, dating from the 17th century, whose carved wooden watchtowers can be admired. Another superb example of Mudejar style is the coffered ceiling of the church of San Agustín in La Orotava. In Betancuria, a small village on the island of Fuerteventura, the church of Santa Maria is an amazing synthesis of all these styles. The original building of the 15th century was of Gothic-Norman style (Jean de Béthencourt, discoverer of the island, was certainly a conquistador, but of Norman origin!) One can still observe traces of this style on the tower of the bell tower and the columns. Rebuilt in the 17th century, the church today has Gothic, Mudejar, Renaissance and Baroque elements. The architecture of this period is often called "colonial architecture", but this denomination is reductive and even misleading. Canarian architecture is not a copy of any dominant architecture, on the contrary. It is at the crossroads of influences, but rich in a strong local identity. This is achieved through the use of local materials: volcanic stone, clay, peat and Canary pine. The Canary Islands buildings, whether they are churches, stately homes or country houses, impress by the visual contrast between the white lime that covers them and the basalt of the ashlars, emphasizing angles and edges, or sometimes creating a speckled effect. The buildings can also be colored, but always in a single shade, which allows the elements of the decoration to stand out. The roofs are of two or four slopes, covered with hollow tiles (also called "Arab tiles") of red color, and their edges are slightly curved. The facades are adorned with superb balconies made of wrought wood - whose shutters are reminiscent of the Moorish-inspired moucharabiehs - and loggias covered with a tiled canopy whose fine colonnades are to be admired. The patio is the centerpiece of the Canary Islands buildings, providing them with light and freshness. From the wooden galleries that surround it, the view of this well of water and light is as striking as it is soothing. The whole archipelago has this Canarian architectural identity, like the town ofAgaete, nicknamed "the white grace of the black coast", or the district of La Vegueta in Las Palmas, whose tangle of alleys is full of superb stately homes such as the Casa de Colon, of Gothic-Renaissance inspiration, with its three superb patios. Influenced, but never dominated, the architecture of the Canaries is unique!
Architecture according to Cesar Manrique
From the 1950s-1960s, the Canary Islands became a major tourist destination and soulless buildings began to appear to accommodate the constant flow of visitors. But in Lanzarote, one man stood up against this "plague". His name: Cesar Manrique. Artist and architect who had traveled the world, Manrique returned to his native island in 1966. Having very quickly taken the measure of the dangers of mass tourism and having the attentive listening of the politicians, Manrique develops an original architectural and urbanistic program, precursor of the sustainable architecture of today. Objective: to combine economic growth with local identity. He therefore imposed white on all buildings on the island and all new structures had to integrate elements of local architecture. To preserve the beauty of the landscape, he prohibited the construction of buildings of more than three floors and imposed a limit on signs and advertising panels. In love with his island, Manrique made his architecture interact with it. His creations are not accompanied by any destruction... on the contrary, the landscape is used as a component of his architecture. It is not surprising, then, that he has enhanced so many natural sites. The Jameos del Agua are the very first example of this original architecture. Carved into the rock, this tourist center includes concert halls, bars and restaurants and even a seawater pool. It is connected to the Cueva de Los Verdes, caves also built by the artist. In 1973, Manrique built the Mirador del Rio, on top of the steep rock of Famara, where an old artillery base was located. Manrique dug the tourist center into the rock and only the exterior balcony, which serves as a viewpoint, emerged. The presence of this tourist center is thus almost imperceptible. We also owe him the International Museum of Contemporary Art located in the old fortress of the San José castle in Arrecife and of course his foundation, a gigantic building erected on a river of frozen lava. Mixing traditional architecture and modernity, the César Manrique Foundation offers, like all of the artist's works, an amazing view of the surroundings, creating a harmonious dialogue with the landscape. After his death in 1992, elected officials and residents committed themselves to continuing this enhancement of the local heritage.
Contemporary treasures
The contemporary architecture of the Canary Islands is alive and constantly renewing itself, but it does not forget the importance of local traditions and landscapes, which it elegantly integrates into its bold creations. In 1996, Santiago Calatrava gave Santa Cruz de Tenerife its International Fair and Congress Center. An original structure of concrete, glass and iron, the center has a 270-meter façade that allows light to enter a singular central nave. Seven years later, Calatrava once again made his mark on the city with theAdan Martin Auditorium, which has become one of the emblems of the archipelago. With its impressive floating wing dominating the sky from the top of its 50 m, the auditorium fascinates. The play of shapes and light gives vitality and movement to this living architecture. Another symbolic achievement is the Alfredo Kraus auditorium in Las Palmas, the last work of architect Oscar Tusquets. At the back of the stage, Tusquets built a large glass window with a unique view of the sea, allowing the effects of transparency and darkness to be played out through an ingenious filter system. The architects Felipe Artengo Rufino, Fernando Martin Menis and Jose Maria Rodriguez-Pastrana, all from Tenerife, are responsible for two amazing projects that perfectly combine local traditions and modernity. First, the Magma Arte Y Congresos Center in Adeje. Its spectacular wave-like curves are supported by 12 monoliths of concrete and "chasnera" stone, a volcanic stone from southern Tenerife. Natural light and ventilation are the key words of this minimalist architecture. They are also responsible for the headquarters of the presidency of the autonomous government of the Canary Islands. For this building, the architects used volcanic stone, wood and even incorporated a balcony made of Canary pine from an old house on the island, which can be admired from the building's inner courtyard. In San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Fernando Martin Menis also designed the Santissimo Redentor church in local stone and raw concrete. A sober creation that surprises by its minimalism as much as by the clever play of perspective between the different levels of the building. This sobriety is found in the curved architecture of the nearby Faculty of Fine Arts. Other contemporary creations include the Tenerife Espacio de las Artes by Swiss architects Herzog & De Meuron. Alternating between solid concrete and glass, playing on the effects of light and shadow, the architects have imagined a building where interior and exterior dialogue and complement each other. In addition to these elegant creations are the Torres de Santa Cruz, two 120-meter steel skyscrapers (the highest in the archipelago), which symbolize the economic vitality of the Canary Islands.
