Tenerife Auditorium / Santiago Calatrava

Tenerife auditorium, a Santiago Calatrava’s work is situated in the coast of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, next to the Fair and Congress International Center, also made by Calatrava.

With a 72.3 million € investment, the building lasted for six years, from 1997 spring until 2003 when it was finalised, being opened on September the 23rd of the same year.

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The building lays in a 23,000 sq meter site, 6,741 sq meter occupied by the building and the rest by gardens, squares, entrances and parking (260 spaces).

The auditorium houses two halls, the main one with 1,616 seats, and the chamber one, with only 400 seats. The main hall is crowned by an inmense dome, and has a stage with a 16.5 meter entrance and a 14m end. It also has variable panels behind the walls that allow adjusting the hall acustics to the spectacles, even for Opera, simphonic concerts, recital, etc.

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In the entrance hall, the one is entered by the sides of the building, are situated the press room, a shop and a café. It also has a dozen individual dressing rooms, and the same number of colective ones, and many other special places for hairdressing services, make-up, clothing, etc. Outside it has two terraces that finish in two squares from the ones the sea can be seen.

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The viewer attention is called by the great wing that emerges from the back of the building, and sharpens until in finishes in a point, covering the whole building in its longitudinal direction.

The building is covered by white concrete in the lower part of the wing, and with white ceramic material in the upper part and the walls.