Malaga city council announces tender for future auditorium 'at the service of culture'

There has been no change in approach from the initial plan. Promálaga, the company that runs the Fycma fair and trade centre, will carry out the construction work and take over the management of the facility.

This controversial decision has caused concern within the cultural sector, but the mayor justified it on fiscal grounds: "IVA, at 21 per cent, which in this case would amount to over 40 million, can be reclaimed when the facility is managed by the same organisation that carries out the construction work".

De la Torre stated that Málaga Procultura will coordinate the venue's operations. It will provide space for concerts by the philharmonic orchestra (OFM) and visiting orchestras, as well as an expanded opera season, with the main auditorium seating 1,900 people.

He said the project would invest 20 million euros in stage equipment alone, with particular emphasis on acoustics. De la Torre added that, although the initial forecast envisages cultural events occupying the venue for 60 per cent of the year, "if the cultural response is very good (...) there is room to grow".

Following the controversy over the decision to hand Promálaga responsibility for running the venue, partly to encourage its use for conferences, the city council has largely sidestepped the issue.

The word "conferences" did not appear once in the council's press release, nor did the mayor mention it in his opening remarks. He addressed the issue only when journalists asked him about it.

De la Torre reiterated that culture would remain the priority and explained that the project remains the same design that won the 2008 ideas competition, by architects Federico Soriano and Agustín Benedicto, with no modifications specifically for conferences.

The mayor said that, as with the Euskalduna conference centre and concert hall, the facility can also host conventions on days without cultural events, provided organisers plan them properly and well in advance.

The tender process will formally begin next week, after Promálaga's board approves the procurement file and tender documents on Monday, 17 August. The council will put the entire project out to tender as a single contract rather than dividing it into lots, in order to ensure "coordination and quality" throughout the works.

The contract covers the 30,000-square-metre building at the San Andrés marina, along with the surrounding infrastructure, a car park and associated access routes. The award criteria will also give greater weight to quality than price. "We don't want the cheapest auditorium. We want the best," De la Torre said.

Once the council publishes the tender companies will have 55 days to submit their bids. The tender period will close in mid-October, after which the council will begin the process of awarding the construction contract.

The works will take four years. Barring major delays, the mayor will enter the 2027 local elections with the project well under way and a construction company appointed.

The updated construction budget stands at 202,627,084 euros including IVA. Adding the fees for the project management and site supervision team takes the total cost to 209 million euros.

Nine companies have already expressed interest in the project during a preliminary market consultation. "It will attract interest," De la Torre said, following the initial consultation with construction companies, consortia and business groupings experienced in delivering large-scale projects.

To cover the cost, the city council will contribute 20 million euros, the Andalusian regional government 25 million and the provincial authority ten million.

With the Ministry of Culture no longer expected to provide funding, private finance will cover the remaining 145 million euros or so.

So far, Cajamar has indicated that it would like to put its name to the venue, with the proposed sponsorship valued at 40 million euros and due to go out to tender. Other options remain on the table, including naming the chamber music hall or becoming a patron of the auditorium with a contribution of two million euros.

Without going into detail, the mayor said he had received very positive responses to letters sent last year seeking private-sector partners. Interestingly, those letters referred to the auditorium as Palacio de la Ópera, a name De la Torre has now ruled out.

Asked how the council would choose the venue's managing director, De la Torre did not say whether the council would advertise the post or use a closed selection process, but said the appointment should take place two years before construction ends.

The council, he said, would look for someone "with experience" and once again assured reporters that the manager "will always serve the needs of Málaga Procultura".

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