Hernández Hermanos Building

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Architecture · Subcategory: Civil architecture · Year: 1955 · Authors: Alberto Sartoris

This is one of the few works designed in the Canary Islands by the prestigious Swiss architect of Italian origin Alberto Sartoris (1901-1998). Intellectual, architect, designer, professor and art critic, Sartoris was one of the most relevant international personalities of the "Modern Movement", a stylistic current founded at the end of the 1920s that set the guidelines for contemporary architecture.

Sartoris's first contact with the Canary Islands occurred in 1934 through the art critic Eduardo Westerdahl, on the occasion of the latter's request for the Swiss architect and critic to collaborate in the magazine "Gaceta de Arte". From this event arose a great friendship between the two, which led to sporadic visits by Sartoris to the islands from 1950 onwards.  

In 1955 the architect developed a project for a commercial building to be erected near the Zurita bridge in Santa Cruz. The commission was made by the firm Hernández Hermanos, dedicated to road transport on the island of Tenerife and to the import and sale of automobiles. Although the building was carried out, Sartoris did not direct the works. 

The resulting building, under rationalist premises, rises six storeys. A singular base gives way to an upper body set back on the corner. The façade has a broad horizontal sense given by the continuity of continuous balconies that run around the entire perimeter. A prismatic structure, serving as an interior communication box, rises over a corner of the lower body. The whole ensemble is crowned by a continuous slab supported by columns.

The lower part of the building was conceived as a commercial use area, with large interior spaces and garages. The upper floors were intended for housing. 

Although Sartoris's work in the Canary Islands is scarce, his relationship with the islands was constant from the mid-20th century until his death. Santa Cruz hosted his visits, lectures and exhibition openings, all based on avant-garde art. This close link with the city is reflected in the Plaza del Colegio de Arquitectos de Canarias, which bears the name: Plaza Arquitecto Alberto Sartoris.

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