Located in El Toscal, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, this remarkable project transforms a ruined house from 1912 into a contemporary home centered around light, air, and an open courtyard.
Designed by Alejandro Beautell, the renovation does not attempt to recreate the past exactly. Instead, the project carefully preserves the character of the original house while introducing new architectural elements that allow it to adapt to modern life.
The small existing ventilation patio was expanded across the entire width of the house, becoming the true heart of the project. Around this central courtyard, the rooms are connected through open galleries and circulation spaces inspired by traditional Canarian architecture.
The second floor is set back from the original façade, reducing its visual impact from the street while creating a private terrace for the main bedroom. A staircase positioned beside the courtyard becomes an important architectural element, connecting the different spaces while recalling the material traditions of old Canarian homes.
The material palette creates a clear dialogue between past and present. Existing walls are preserved and left exposed or finished with lime mortar, while new interventions are expressed through exposed concrete with different textures and finishes.
Rather than freezing the house in time, this renovation allows it to evolve. The result is a quiet balance between historic architecture and contemporary living, where the central courtyard brings light, air, and a new sense of life into a house that once stood in ruins.
Architects transformed a ruined 1912 house in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, into a modern residence. Rather than a strict restoration, the project preserves the building's essential character while integrating contemporary elements. By expanding the original patio and blending historic materials with exposed concrete, the home now balances heritage with modern functionality and light.
This house had been standing for more than a century. Built in 1912, it sits in El Toscal,
a historic neighbourhood of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. Over time, the building had fallen into a
state of ruin. But instead of restoring it, to look exactly as it once did, the architects chose
a different approach. They wanted the house to evolve. The goal was not to freeze the building
in time, but to preserve its essential character, while allowing it to become a home for modern life.
The original volume, façade and material character were carefully respected.
At the same time, the architects reinterpreted elements of traditional Canarian architecture
to create a new spatial experience centred around one important element, the courtyard.
The house originally contained a small ventilation patio. Instead of keeping it as a narrow service
space, the architects expanded it across the entire width of the building. This simple move
completely transformed the house. The patio became the true heart of the project.
Natural light enters deep into the interior while fresh air moves through the spaces.
Rooms open toward this central void, creating a stronger connection between different parts
of the home. Rather than moving through a series of enclosed rooms, life now unfolds
around an open space filled with light and air. His staircase follows another traditional idea
found in Canarian houses. Positioned along the side of the gallery facing the courtyard,
it becomes more than a functional connection between floors. It acts as an architectural
element that organises movement throughout the house. Even its first step carries a reference
to the past, recalling the basalt stone elements commonly found in traditional homes on the Canary
Islands. Above, the second floor steps back from the original façade. This reduces the visual
impact of the new addition from the street while creating a private terrace for the main bedroom.
From the outside, the historic character of the house remains present. But behind the façade,
a completely new way of living begins to unfold. The material palette also tells this story of old
and new. Existing walls are preserved and either left exposed or finished with lime mortar,
allowing the texture and age of the original construction to remain visible.
The new additions, however, are made from exposed concrete.
Different concrete finishes create a contemporary layer within the historic structure,
establishing a quiet contrast rather than attempting to imitate the past.
The result is a house where history is not hidden. Old walls meet new concrete.
Traditional spatial ideas meet contemporary living. And a building that was once in ruins
becomes a home filled with light, air and life. More than a restoration project, this house shows
that preserving architecture does not always mean returning it to what it once was. Sometimes the
respectful way to preserve the past is to allow it to change.
