La Recova Art Centre (Old Market)

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Architecture · Subcategory: Civil architecture · Year: 1849-54 · Authors: Manuel de Oraá

In 1813 the Town Council agreed to the construction of a recova near the mouth of the Aceite ravine, the first of its kind in Santa Cruz; however, it soon became insufficient in size, so another location had to be considered for the construction of a new market under proper conditions.  

Due to the Mendizábal disentailment, which ordered the disposal of assets belonging to religious communities and corporations, the large site occupied by the Santo Domingo convent was used to install two important public buildings in the city: the market and the theatre.

The plans for the new recova were drawn up by the municipal architect Manuel de Oraá in 1847, and although it was inaugurated in 1851, the works were not completed until three years later. The building's structure is rectangular with an open central courtyard with arcades and two access doors arranged symmetrically on the main and rear façades. Both present similar features: they are recessed and have semicircular arches.

After the inauguration of the Nuestra Señora de África Market in the mid-20th century, the old recova, also known in those years as "Palais Royal", housed various functions: from municipal storage to a basketball court.

Currently, after a thorough renovation, it houses the La Recova Art Centre, inaugurated as a cultural space in 1992. The building's specific structural characteristics, with a covered and arcaded central courtyard, provide versatility that opens great possibilities for artistic expression. The Centre annually hosts numerous exhibitions, among which the International Comic Salon stands out, the only event of this genre held in the Canary Islands. The same building also houses the Contemporary Printmaking Centre, a focus for teaching and creation of woodcut, intaglio, screen printing and lithography.

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