Famous Malaga landmark faces new lease of life as architecture firm picked to turn it into a museum

The slow countdown to the restoration of Malaga's La Farola lighthouse and its opening to the public has begun. The city's Port Authority has contracted Granada architectural firm Fresneda y Zamora, in collaboration with architect Pablo Pastor, to draft the plans to turn the site into a museum.

They have a deadline of 14 months, meaning the work could be completed by the middle of next year. But before that, a period of five months has been set to draw up the project.

La Farola is, together with La Farola del Mar (Santa Cruz de Tenerife), the only 'female' lighthouse in Spain, and next May it will be 207 years old.

The recently contracted project (54,000 euros) will outline the aspects of the refurbishment. Initial estimates for the work are in the region of 600,000 euros, although this will have to be specified by the architectural firm.

The refurbishment will be carried out on the lighthouse keepers’ building to enhance its appearance and improve its state of conservation with a view to using it as a public exhibition and cultural space and to highlight its historical character.

The old lighthouse keepers’ building has a quadrangular base measuring 15 by 15 metres and is located on the Joaquín María Pery roundabout, on the Paseo de la Farola. It is topped by overhanging cornices. From its central part emerges the tower of the eye-catching lighthouse.

The architecture firm that won the competition to design the project was founded in 2001 and, among its portfolio, boasts the restoration of heritage sites. Their portfolio includes projects such as the landscaping and visitor centre of the Necropolis of Tútugi (in Galera, Granada); the Cerro de la Virgen interpretation centre (Orce, Granada), and the adaptation of the Salud Responde building and the 061 Provincial Service (Jaén). Other public projects include the Centro de Usos Múltiples de Matagorda (El Ejido); the headquarters of Operaciones Portuarias (Motril) and the church of Brácana (Granada).