Herzog & de Meuron
Project
1999-2007
Realizationn
2002-2008

New City Life

The TEA will become a new and lively place for people of all generations and with various interests. In order to achieve an architectural concept where the different activities and spaces of the centre are interfusing and interflowing, access to the centre will be possible from all sides. A new public path diagonally cuts through the building complex connecting the top of the General Serrador Bridge with the shore of the Barranco de Santos. On its way down to the Barranco this path is widening and transforming itself into a triangular, semi-covered space in the heart of the cultural centre.

Plaza

This unusual triangular space is a new public plaza which is open and accessible for everyone. The new urban Life will be animated by the museum café and restaurant which will be able to serve food and drinks not only in the building but also on the plaza or under the large and shadowy canopy of the existing trees at the Barranco. The plaza can also be used at night as an open air cinema performing films and videos in collaboration with the TEA.

State of the Art Galleries

The main quality of the plaza, however, will be to lead people into the building complex and to provide a good orientation for all visitors. The lobby is conceived as a spatial continuation of the plaza. It generously arranges the museum café, the museum shop and the ticket counters. Beyond these counters a large spiraling stair connects to the upper as well as to the lower museum level. The upper level has skylight galleries in various sizes adapting to the requirements of the Oscar Dominguez Collection; the lower level displays a large surface that can be subdivided to match the needs of temporary exhibitions of international stature. All museum spaces will have state of the art climate control and fit out. Ceiling heights on both levels are almost 6 meters or more. More intimate in their size are the galleries of the Centre of Photography, which are also installed on the lower Level and can be connected with the temporary exhibition space.

A New Landmark for Santa Cruz

On their way across the plaza visitors will stumble on the light filled spaces of the Biblioteca Insular. The public plaza literally cuts through the large reading room of the library. Large glass screens allow for views inside and outside the generously open space of the library. The light filled volume of the Biblioteca Insular animates the nocturnal skyline along the Barranco de Santos and will become a new landmark for the city of Santa Cruz.

The building typology of our design for the TEA is based on courtyards. The elongated courtyards are important in many ways, providing daylight, views and orientation for the visitors and users of the museum spaces and the library. One of them, between the office and museum wings of the building complex is planted with typical plants from the Island.

From the very beginning of the design process we operated with courtyards, also because we wanted to connect the new TEA typologically with its existing neighbor building, the Antiguo Hospital Civil which has recently been transformed into the Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre. However, it took a while before we understood that all different activities and functions of the TEA should be assembled under one continuous roof structure rather than break down into individual wings. This is also one of the reasons why the elongated courtyards do not appear like embraced exterior spaces but rather like interior spaces that are being left open. The spatial interplay between inside and outside integrates rather than separates the very diverse urban landscapes which are so fascinating in Santa Cruz. The new cultural centre is therefore not only a place of encounter for people but also a place of intersection for the landscape of the contemporary city, the old city with its skyline along the Barranco and the archaic topography of the Barranco itself.

Herzog & de Meuron, 1999/2008

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Process

The arts center is being built on the seaward edge of the old town next to a dry riverbed.

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The cultural facilities of the TEA are grouped around a pathway that widens to form a plaza at the heart of the building and creates a direct link between the old town and the coast.

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A photograph of water is enlarged to form an abstract pattern.

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Numerous full-scale concrete models serve to test technical feasibility, density and distribution of negative forms, color of concrete, edges, and strength of reinforcement.

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Library, plaza, courtyards, galleries: floor plans of the first and second floors, longitudinal and cross sections.

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Even while still under construction, the building reveals its remarkable spatial diversity and detailing, such as the openings.

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The dark-colored library wall facing the river with its many seemingly aleatory apertures.

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Library, foyer, staircase and galleries still under construction.

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Drawings

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Team

Facts

Client
Cabildo Insular de Tenerife, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Planning
General Planning: Herzog & de Meuron, Basel, Switzerland
Architect Planning: Herzog & de Meuron, Basel, Switzerland
Architect Planning: Virgilio Gutiérrez Herreros Arquitecto, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Partner Architect: Virgilio Gutiérrez Herreros Arquitecto, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Architect Construction: UTE Herzog & de Meuron SL, Barcelona, Spain and Virgilio Gutiérrez Herreros Arquitecto, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Structural Engineering: Dionisio Castro Pérez, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Structural Engineering: MartĂ­nez Segovia Pallas y Asociados, IngenierĂ­a y Arquitectura S.A., Madrid, Spain
Plumbing Engineering: Virgilio Gutiérrez Herreros, Architecto, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Construction Management: Virgilio Gutiérrez Herreros, Architecto, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Quality Surveyor: TopografĂ­a Canaria SL, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
HVAC Engineering: Techne IngienerĂ­a, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Mechanical Engineering: Techne IngienerĂ­a, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Electrical Engineering: Techne IngienerĂ­a, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Specialist / Consulting
Acoustic Consulting: Estudi AcĂşstic Higini Arau, Barcelona, Spain
Lighting Consulting: Ove Arup, London, UK
Building Data
Site Area: 94'722 sqft, 8'800 sqm
Gross floor area (GFA): 221'736 sqft, 20'600 sqm
Number of levels: 4
Footprint: 83'452 sqft, 7'753 sqm
Length: 524 ft, 160 m
Width: 213 ft, 65 m
Height: 59 ft, 18 m
Links
www.teatenerife.es

Bibliography

Paul Ingendaay: “Im Zentrum der Stille.” In: Werner D’Inka, JĂĽrgen Kaube, Berthold Kohler, Holger Steltzner (Eds.). “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.” Vol. No. 117, Frankfurt, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung GmbH, 20.01.2018. p. 11.

Luis Fernández-Galiano (Ed.): “Arquitectura Viva MonografĂ­as. Herzog & de Meuron 2005-2013.” Vol. No. 157/158, Madrid, Arquitectura Viva SL, 09.2012.

Fernando Márquez Cecilia; Richard Levene (Eds.): “El Croquis. Herzog & de Meuron 2005-2010. Programme, Monument, Landscape. Programa, Monumento, Paisaje.” Vol. No. 152/153, Madrid, El Croquis, 2010.

Maura Percoco: “Herzog & de Meuron. TEA, Spazio delle Arti. TEA, Space for the Arts.” In: Marco Casamonti (Ed.). “Materia. Trame. Textures.” Vol. No. 61, Milan, Il Sole 24 Ore, 03.2009. pp. 60-73.

Stefano Casciani: “The Island of the concrete Void.” In: “Domus. Contemporary Architecture, Interiors, Design, Art.” Vol. No. 913, Rozzano, Editoriale Domus S.p.A., 02.2009. pp. 77-89.

Hubertus Adam: “Konstruktion und Eruption. Herzog & de Meuron. Tenerife Espacio de las Artes. Plaza de Espana, Santa Cruz de Tenerife.” In: “Archithese.” Sulgen, ZĂĽrich, Verlag Niggli, 01.2009. pp. 16-23.

Gerhard Mack, Herzog & de Meuron: “Herzog & de Meuron 1997-2001. The Complete Works. Volume 4.” Edited by: Gerhard Mack. Basel / Boston / Berlin, Birkhäuser, 2008. Vol. No. 4.

Dulce Xerach: “CĂłmo crear un Museo para cambiar una Ciudad. La Experiencia del IODACC/TEA.” La Laguna / Madrid, Tauro, 2008.

Luis Fernández-Galiano (Ed.): “Arquitectura Viva. Herzog & de Meuron 1978-2007.” 2nd rev. ed. Madrid, Arquitectura Viva, 2007.

Fernando Márquez Cecilia, Richard Levene (Eds.): “El Croquis. Herzog & de Meuron 1998-2002. La Naturaleza del Artificio. The Nature of Artifice.” Vol. No. 109/110, Madrid, El Croquis, 2002.

“Herzog & de Meuron. Natural History.” Edited by: Philip Ursprung. Exh. Cat. Herzog & de Meuron. Archaeology of the Mind. Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal. 23 October 2002 – 6 April 2003. 2nd ed. Baden, Lars MĂĽller, 2005.

Location