Local
La Malagueta bullring restoration brings back original brick façade
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The white exterior of the historical building in central Malaga is easily removable to reveal intricate original brickwork underneath
The ongoing restoration of the large, historic bullring in the centre of Malaga has thrown up a welcome surprise.
Workers have realised that the familiar white exterior stucco, added some time after the bullring was built, is easily removable to reveal intricate original brickwork underneath. Now the decision has been taken by the Diputación provincial authority, which owns the building, to restore all the exterior to how it once was.
The restoration project is part of a plan to equip the venue, opened in 1876, for use for cultural events and shows year-round, and not just for bullfights.
Initially restorers had planned to keep the white facing, which was added in the late 1930s, but hadn't realised how easy it would be to remove it and how well the bricks were preserved underneath.
Now the planning permission to upgrade the listed building will be revised to include the restoration of the entire original façade.
Why the building was later covered in white isn't documented. Suggestions are that it was easier to maintain the structure that way or that it was the fashion of the time.
The historic bullring is in the La Malagueta area of the city centre, near the port.
