La Benéfica Building

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Architecture · Subcategory: Civil architecture · Year: 1894 · Authors: Antonio Pintor y Ocete

The Mutual Aid Society "La Benéfica" was one of the most established workers' groups in Santa Cruz. Founded very possibly around 1870, its purpose was twofold: on the one hand medical assistance to its members who were granted, when ill, a modest sum of money; and on the other, free education through not only a night school for basic literacy but also another where musical teachings were imparted.

Years after its foundation the Society acquired a plot on Calle Ruiz de Padrón to install its headquarters there. The first stone of its construction was laid on the occasion of the May festivities of 1893, being completed the following year.

The building is one of the first designed by architect Antonio Pintor upon arriving in Santa Cruz. The sober façade highlights the stonework following traditional tastes. The floor plan is quite novel due to the services the building covered, developed around a cloistered central courtyard. The ground floor fulfilled sanitary functions (clinic, pharmacy, laboratory and bedrooms), while the upper floor was dedicated to teaching and representation functions (assembly hall, school and music room). The rear bay faces Calle Emilio Calzadilla through upper and lower porches, leaving a small garden that served as recreation for the members.

Currently the building houses the offices of the Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social (General Treasury of Social Security).

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