Club Náutico (Royal Nautical Club)

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Category: Memory · Subcategory: Memory spaces · Year: 1908 · Authors: Alfonso San Martín

This superb building by don Alfonso San Martín was built right over the sea, held up by two hundred reinforced concrete pillars, and was made up of a central section and two lateral pavillions. It has a terrace overlooking the sea and two narrow towers on its top floor. It actually goes beyond the certain architectural style it represents and its then new construction techniques. When they looked at the plans and the cost of the job itself, the whole project was considered practically unfeasable due to the lack of means available. However, the skill of the engineer, together with the enthusiasm of the first board of the club, meant they could overcome obstacles orignially thought insurmountable, and a miracle occurred. In little under a year the building rose majestically alongside the Santa Catalina harbour, and was publically considered to be the finest building of its type in all of Spain. Princess Isabel herself visited the Royal Nautical Club on her return from Buenos Aires in 1910, and heaped praise on the members for having «created such a splendid building and for having been such fine examples of enthusiasm and shown such extraordinary willpower to their counterparts on the mainland».

The building was said to be one of the most sumptuous throughout Europe, and was a post romantic style from the turn of the century, and reminiscent of the 18th century. It caused a sensation in its day, and was forever being cited as a model for constructing with reinforced concrete. There is, nevertheless, an even more powerful reason to stop and consider the uniqueness of this building. Canarias Turista said that on our land, where around the turn of the century so much indolence could be seen in our character, there was an astonishing amount of effort shown by the Royal Nautical Club for its bravery in forging ahead despite so few resources, which could lead to a growth in tourism, and develop plans to embellish the city and carry out projects in the public interest. [...]

The Club building soon became too small to cater for its intense social and sporting activity, which from the moment it was founded added a whole new complementary aspect to everyday life at the Port of La Luz. [...] This is perhaps the clearest reference as to the long agony of the postromantic building that was witness to the dreams of a generations of Canarians. Although refurbishment work was completed in 1955, little could be expected from an infirm body that was still standing, down to corrupt individuals and in some ways useless efforts put in. [...] The dilapidated state of its structures were of such magnitude that in the face of it collapse, the use of the terrace was prohibited. [...] On 28th September 1965 the old headquarters of the Real Club Náutico began to be knocked down [...] Over five decades of social and seafaring history lay alongside the crumbling debris, and while this history continued to float around alongside the dust that was blown around with the demolition, the nostalgic memory of a handful of members gradually began to fade away as the new building at the Alcaravaneras beach took shape, as a symbol of welcome to all the vessels sailing into the Port of La Luz estuary.

28.141031, -15.429474