Altavista Club

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Category: Architecture · Subcategory: Civil architecture · Year: 1963 · Authors: Andrés León Boyer Ruiz

The little regard given in Las Palmas to contemporary architectural heritage prevents the Altavista Club from receiving the attention it deserves. And yet, due to its location and shape, this former dance hall, now converted into a Korean church, is like the crown of the city. On your blog you describe an image of the predestination of this building on which I would like to ask you to return.

The Altavista Club was built in 1963 by Andrés León Boyer Ruiz-Beneyán, a curious character who was assigned by the Ministry of Housing, although he stayed here for a short time. Later he went to Peru, dedicated himself to restoration, and became a very prominent figure in Latin America. He carried out very important works such as the restoration of the Cusco Cathedral, which had suffered serious damage due to an earthquake, and the rehabilitation of the Torre Tagle Palace in Lima. This is regarding the architect's biography — who, by the way, was the uncle of former minister Miguel Boyer. The building, which barely receives attention, is, however, a piece of modern architecture, in an organicist aaltian key, unique in Las Palmas. But one day, looking at the plans, I discovered an astonishing fact: as you know, the South Korean flag represents the Tao symbol, yin and yang. Well, when I looked at the project plans, I discovered that Boyer Ruiz-Beneyán had drawn the Altavista Club’s floor plan in a shape that, without being exact, resonated with the yin and yang symbol. Naturally, the architect could not have imagined that a few years later the building would end up converted into a Korean church. In any case, this adds atmosphere, depth to the building and by extension to the city. Also, at the Altavista Club performed... Well, you say it...

She performed, already in decline, the singer Josephine Baker, who, since we are talking about architecture, it is worth remembering was a lover of Le Corbusier.

The Altavista Club is a place that has built imagination in Las Palmas. It is incredible that a few years ago some city officials and also some members of the official culture harboured the crazy intention of demolishing it to erect in its place an unlikely museum.

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