The City Council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has confirmed the incorporation of 50 new trees in the gardens of the Viera y Clavijo Cultural Park, as part of the renovation project that has been underway since 2023. The project seeks to strengthen the park's role as a green lung and open it up to the city after demolishing the wall that separated it from the Rambla.
In response to doubts raised by some groups, councilors Carlos Tarife and Javier Rivero, along with the architect Fernando Menis, they recall that the priority of the project is the care of the trees. According to them, only 11 cypress trees that were dead and they posed a risk, with the remaining specimens being kept under specific monitoring and maintenance.
The planting of 50 new trees
The gardening plan includes 50 specimens that will be added to the 55 existing ones, including several of notable size and one collection of palm trees, with the aim of providing more shade, landscape continuity and diversity without losing the historical character of the space.
In addition to trees, the design will incorporate shrubs, blooms and other plants to create a set of up to 2.000 different species, as detailed by the construction management, which will increase the botanical and seasonal interest of the park.
To ensure its establishment, a system of automatic watering and regular maintenance is scheduled. A gardener from Parks and Gardens arrives twice a week, and once a week, a technician monitors the condition of the trees.
Menis himself emphasizes the importance of daily care and has come to water them on weekends when necessary, despite the advanced irrigation system already in operation, thus reinforcing surveillance during this phase of the work.
Opening of the Rambla and improvements to the surrounding area
With the removal of the perimeter wall, the gardens will be integrated with the Rambla by means of a wider sidewalk and a walkway protected by a green screen, which will help separate traffic flow from the pedestrian area and improve climate comfort.
The objective is a field more permeable and accessible, where you can walk alongside the garden without physical barriers, with shaded paths and new seating areas that recover the public vocation of the Viera y Clavijo.
Felling, pruning and transplanting under control
Municipal officials insist that there is no indiscriminate logging: they intervened only 11 cypresses for reasons of safety and plant health, avoiding any unnecessary impact on the rest of the trees.
When the work has required it, some copies have been transplanted within the enclosure itself, prioritizing their conservation over replacement and maintaining the continuity of alignments and shaded areas.
El technical monitoring It includes periodic checks, selective pruning, and adjustments to tutors or tree pits when appropriate, with the aim of minimizing stress to the plants during the execution of the work.
Protection of the centenary ceiba tree
One of the landmarks of the garden is the ceiba pentandra, a specimen of around a hundred years and the only tree with legal protection in this area. Its maintenance is a priority line of work within the project.
For the ceiba, a specific irrigation system has been installed that reproduces the humidity of the old pavement, and a protective screen is planned for upcoming interventions to preserve its microclimatic conditions.
The wall that separates it from San Sebastián Avenue will be preserved precisely to avoid altering the environment that favors its stability, avoiding sudden changes that could harm it.
Schedule and scope of rehabilitation
The works began in July 2023 following the agreement between the City Council and the Government of the Canary Islands, with an investment close to 12 millones de eurosThe project combines architectural restoration, landscaping improvements, and new public facilities.
The first phase is scheduled for 2027 and includes the restoration of the main building, declared BIC (Asset of Cultural Interest), as well as the development of the outdoor areas, including a children's playground with shade provided by the trees.
Cultural use and future of the environment
The main building will house a reference cultural space with the CaixaForum brand, while the Pérez Minik Theater, in a dilapidated state, will be replaced by a newly built auditorium integrated into the complex.
The development will incorporate comfortable routes and tree-lined rest areas that reinforce the character of green lung Viera y Clavijo, with vegetation as the axis to improve comfort and coexistence with the urban environment.
The sum of 50 treesThe protection of the ceiba tree and the opening of the garden to the Rambla outline a project focused on vegetation, with coordinated works and landscaping to gain shade, accessibility and biodiversity without losing the park's identity.
