La Laguna Cathedral: a Pioneer Work in the Use of Reinforced Concrete in Spain, 1904-1913 La Catedral de La Laguna: Una obra pionera en el uso del hormigón armado en España, 1904-1913

Abstract

In 1904 begins the process to rebuild the Cathedral of La Laguna. The lack of architects with enough knowledge of the reinforced cement technique forced to the Cathedral Council to hire a military engineer. Lieutenant Rodrigo-Vallabriga takes on the challenge of designing and building a temple in reinforced concrete, becoming the pioneer of this technique in the Canary Islands. The cathedral could be done in record time, only eight years. The shortages of coating thicknesses, an inadequate concrete work and an incorrect maintenance forced its demolition a century after finished. This pioneering work opened the way to reinforced concrete in the Canary Islands.