Not all holidays can be about satisfying my art cravings. Well, at least that’s what my husband thinks. So sometimes I humour him and plan a trip without planning much if you get my drift.
Our trip to Tenerife was one such holiday: no rare old masters to be discovered, no marble statues to be admired, no museum tickets to be queued for. Just time to relax and read and walk. Maybe drive around the island a bit to see how other islanders live.
And, lo and behold, my appetite for art was fulfilled even there, albeit by a different art genre -I discovered the beauty and attraction of Tenerife’s architecture. I have always loved architecture, old and new, eccentric and wacky, but also classical and simple. Actually, what I discovered was that Tenerife has a bit of everything.
The architecture of the Canary Islands has many influences. The first Spanish colonisers introduced typical Spanish architecture and started building churches in the Gothic style. As the years passed and new art movements swept Europe they eventually also reached these islands off the coast of Africa. Baroque and neoclassical architecture followed, each style made special by the use of local materials like the black lava stone and pine wood. There are also fine examples of modernist, practical and restrained post-modern, as well as awe-inspiring contemporary buildings to be found.
The houses built in what is considered the traditional local style are heavily influenced by Andalusian and Portuguese architecture. The whitewashed houses dazzle in the sunshine while the coloured ones look amazing in beautiful rich earthy tones or even bold purple, blue and green hues. The roofs are decked with half-cylindrical Arabic or undulating Hacienda-style terracotta tiles.
The old capital San Cristobal La Laguna is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has some of the most amazing buildings. The small port of Garachico on the Northern coast was rebuilt in the colonial style after being totally destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 1706. The houses are beautifully maintained and great care is taken to keep the streets, that are lined with traditional buildings, intact.
Many of the houses are adorned with amazing balconies and other artisanal woodwork like ornate front doors or carved window shutters. Often there are doors high up on facades that make you wonder what would happen if anyone would ever step through them.
The high outer walls often hide cool and fresh inner courtyards - a legacy of Moorish Andalusian architecture - that might even sport a well or small pond and of course vegetation, especially palm trees and cacti. Palm trees are everywhere - enhancing streetscapes, parks and gardens - and in some places you will find the even more dramatic looking dragon trees competing for attention with the buildings.
Throughout the island I came across mosaics, usually made up of irregular, coloured tiles. Sometimes they are used to smoothen the top of a border wall or spell the name of a house or even town. In the case of the Auditorium Adán MartÃn in Santa Cruz the white mosaic that covers a part of the building works like tesserae in reflecting the sunlight and creating a wonderful sparkling effect.
If you are finding all of this too theoretical I suggest you move on to the picture gallery below and get a visual experience of the wonderful architecture of Tenerife. And as a bonus I also added a few landscapes and food pictures...
