Malaga heritage: Andalusian regional government approves restoration of Trinidad convent

Another step towards transforming the former Trinidad convent into a new cultural centre for Malaga: the regional government has approved the restoration and adaptation project. This allows the tendering process for the construction contract to begin.

The project includes the study of the property, declared a historical-artistic monument in 1980, becoming a cultural heritage asset (BIC) five years later. It also includes assessment of its current state, the proposed action and the impact on the protected features, as well as a maintenance programme.

According to the commission's report, the construction methods are consistent with the building's architectural tradition. In addition, the features that the winning bidder will remove or alter correspond to the most recent intervention in 2013. The report lists the original materials used in the convent's construction.

The project, which also encompasses the surroundings of the monastery built between the 15th and 16th centuries under the initiative of Don Francisco Ramírez de Madrid, proposes restoration, conservation and enhancement actions of the original building, which will accommodate exhibition halls and multipurpose spaces for performing arts, musical and literary activities.

Plans include the construction of a new building, partially underground below street level, to connect the convent with the Archivo Histórico Provincial de Málaga, also a building of cultural interest. This space, spread over two basement levels, will house the intermediate provincial archive, the first of its kind to open in Andalucía.

The public space surrounding the monastery evokes the layout of the former convent garden. The garden and medicinal orchard will be next to the water feature and a seasonal vegetable garden will link the space to its agricultural history.