La Flor Isleña Tobacco Factory

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Category: Architecture · Subcategory: Industrial architecture · Year: 1926 · Authors: Miguel Martín-Fernández de la Torre

In its time, the La Flor Isleña cigarette factory must have been a space with little smoke. It is true that in the twenties, when Miguel Martín built it, there was no prohibition on smoking inside collective spaces, and its workers, it is believed, could have had a cigarette now and then. But it is unthinkable that they smoked the entire production of the house. Today, in any case, the main activity of La Flor Isleña, later renamed Cumbre, is not wrapping shredded tobacco with rolling paper, but parking. And, as such, it generates much more smoke. Despite its change of use, the façades on Luis Antúnez and Pi y Margall streets of this reference work of industrial architecture remain intact. Along with them, besides the stone sign of Cumbre, the delightful coloured Belgian stained glass windows that promote La Flor Isleña.

(Extracted from the article Zona de fumadores by Mariano de Santa Ana [La Provincia, 19/08/2015])

Less luck and consideration has been had, from her point of view [Amara Florido], by La Flor Isleña. The former tobacco factory, installed by Santiago Gutiérrez Martín in a building designed by Miguel Martín-Fernández de la Torre in 1926, has become a public car park. "Only the main façade remains, something which, in my view, is one of the great disasters that have been done at the heritage level." Hence it is "very important" to promote and raise awareness of the value of the industrial heritage that each municipality has, she assures.

(Extracted from the article Patrimonio industrial, el gran desconocido [La Provincia, 18/01/2015])

28.132611, -15.430738