The Malaga capital has activated the countdown for the construction of its longed-for Auditorium, a key cultural infrastructure for the province. Following approval by the administrative board of the municipal company Promálaga, the official announcement on the Public Contracting Platform marks the start of the offer submission period for interested companies.
Construction firms have 55 days, until 2:00 PM on October 15, to formalize their candidacies. The emblematic facility will be located on the San Andrés del Puerto esplanade, will cover over 30,000 square meters, and have a capacity of approximately 2,000 seats. The allocated budget for the execution of the works, estimated at 48 months, amounts to 202.6 million euros (VAT included).
Previously, the City Council conducted a preliminary market consultation with nine construction sector operators experienced in complex cultural and large-scale building projects. The aim was to inform about the project and gather technical information from the sector, particularly regarding cultural venues and complex public facilities.
The contract covers the execution of the auditorium building, urbanization, an underground car park, and associated access points. It is a single contract, a decision supported by the consulted operators due to the technical interdependence, unified responsibility, especially regarding acoustics, and optimization of costs and deadlines.
Regarding the award criteria, the technical quality of the proposal is prioritized, with 70 points assigned to value judgment criteria and 30 to automatic criteria. Organization (team structure and experience), project planning, and methodology are key aspects, with special attention to the acoustic quality team and the stage and audiovisual technical team.
The terms and conditions emphasize the guarantee of acoustic quality as an essential contractual provision. Furthermore, contract modifications limited to 5% of the initial price, justified by aspects related to foundations or the ground, are contemplated.
The project design respects the proposal by architects Federico Soriano and Agustín Benedicto, winners of the international ideas competition in 2008. The facility will host concerts, opera, dance, and shows, with the addition of a congress use, according to the plan by mayor Francisco de la Torre. Management has been entrusted to Promálaga, which has generated criticism in the cultural sector due to the potential displacement of musical programming.
The mayor has insisted that the Auditorium "will be at the service of cultural needs," ensuring coordination with Málaga Procultura for programming and that congress activities will take place on days without cultural occupation.
The complex, located on the San Andrés esplanade, includes the main building with the Main Auditorium and Chamber Hall, an underground car park, access points, and surrounding urbanization. The stage machinery, with a budget exceeding 20 million euros, is one of the most demanding components.
The project's financing, updated to 209,112,443.56 euros (VAT included), is distributed with contributions from the City Council (20 million planned), the Junta de Andalucía (25 million), and the Provincial Council (10 million). The remainder will depend on the search for private sponsors and patrons, with no news regarding the participation of the Ministry of Culture.
The City Council considers this a "strategic" project for a population of three million inhabitants, fundamental for the cultural, social, and economic development of the province and adjacent territories. In 2007, a consortium was formed to promote it, comprising the City Council, Junta de Andalucía, and the Central Government, which was dissolved due to the economic crisis.
