El Tanque文化空间是由一座油罐改造而来，代表了加那利群岛的工业历史。自1929年西班牙的第一家炼油厂建成之后，这里一直是圣克鲁斯-特内里费城市地理的重要组成部分。1995年，面对油罐即将被拆除的现状，时任特内里费文化和历史遗产顾问的Dulce Xerach Pérez女士提出将巨型油罐中的一个保留下来，并围绕这一非营利性的倡议汇聚各方支持，成立了今天的“油罐之友协会”。作为该组织的成员，建筑师Fernando Menis曾负责对El Tanque进行修复和改造，旨在使其适应多种文化用途，并为协会提供支持。

▼项目外观概览，Exterior view

▼花园和油罐，The new garden and the oil tank

The El Tanque Cultural Space is a former oil tank, representative for the industrial history of the Canary Islands, which has been a part of the urban geography of Santa Cruz de Tenerife since 1929 when the first Spain’s refinery was built here. Faced with its imminent dismantling, in 1995, the then Councillor for Culture and Historical Heritage of Tenerife island’s government, Mrs. Dulce Xerach Pérez, promoted the idea of keeping one of its large containers and gathered support around this non-profit initiative, which ended up being the current Association Amigos del Tanque. As a member of this activists group, the architect Fernando Menis carried out the rehabilitation and adaptation of El Tanque to cultural uses and gave support to the Association until it was listed as protected cultural heritage in 2014.

▼左：CEPSA炼油厂，1951年的场地照片；右：油罐内的艺术空间

Left:  CEPSA refinery, photo from 1951；Right: Installation by Jaume Plensa in the El Tanque Cultural Space

▼鸟瞰，Aerial view

▼花园的设计理念回应了加那利群岛的农业传统，The garden design concept evokes the agricultural tradition of the Canary Islands

2022年，值El Tanque文化空间迎来其25周年庆典之际，油罐之友协会发起了一项周边区域的生态修复项目，旨在为Cabo Llanos社区建立第一个绿色的公共空间。该项目仍然由建筑师Fernando Menis担纲设计，根据其设想，一个新的香蕉树花园将围绕着既有的工业遗迹建立起来，并将唤起人们对于工业化之前的农业景观的记忆。建筑师希望通过塑造一个能够让不同时代、文化与情感共存的场所，来为圣克鲁斯-特内里费赋予独特的城市身份。

In 2022, the Association celebrates the 25 years of existence of El Tanque with an ecological restoration project of its surroundings, designed by the same architect, and which provides the Cabo Llanos neighborhood with its first green public space. According to Menis’s vision, the new banana trees garden that surrounds the industrial heritage vestige recalls the agricultural landscape prior to industrialization, staging the city as a place of coexistence for the different eras, cultures and sensibilities that have shaped Santa Cruz de Tenerife’s identity.

▼花园围绕着既有的工业遗迹建立起来，The new banana trees garden surrounds the industrial heritage vestige

▼含有当地火山灰的土地，The garden land with local volcanic ash

El Tanque文化空间的周边如今已经种植了大量的香蕉树，以此来纪念1930年代CEPSA炼油厂建造之前存在于该地区的农业活动。在建筑师的愿景中，居民和游客将可以通过一种充满惊喜的体验感受该区域经历的演变：从2022年5月起，随着时间的推移，繁茂的亚热带植被不断生长并占据了这座工业遗迹，在恢复其农业历史记忆的同时，也重新彰显了它自身的迷人特质。

The perimeter of El Tanque has been covered with banana trees as a way of remembering the agricultural activity that existed in this area before the CEPSA refinery was located here in the 1930s. In the vision of the architect, residents and visitors will be able to sense the evolution of the place through a surprise effect: as time has passed, from May 2022 until now, the exuberant subtropical vegetation has been colonizing the industrial relic, framing its fascinating presence while restoring the memory of the agricultural past to build a sense of cultural continuity and belonging.

▼街道通往花园的入口，Access from the street

▼入口处的结构是由一座旧栈桥回收而来

The access is made through a former ferry bridge adapted to its new use

▼入口结构外观，Entrance structure

▼入口通道内部，Internal space of the access

Fernando Menis的景观设计立足于植物学的方法，旨在为一个严重缺乏公共绿地的社区创造具有高度生物多样性的花园。截至目前，花园已种植700多棵树木，包括柏树、凤凰木、大王椰子、龟背竹、热带榕属植物和各类灌木，并设有多个芳香植物区域。不过，最为主要的植物依然是Musa Paradisiaca（天宝蕉），回应了场地在成为工业用地之前，曾长期作为香蕉种植园的历史。Musa Paradisiaca具有生长迅速的特点，高度可达7米，通常在夏季开花，精心选择的种植位置也充分迎合了其向阳的属性。

Fernando Menis’s landscape design is based on a botanical approach that seeks to create a garden with high biodiversity in a neighborhood that completely lacks public green areas. Thus, more than 700 trees have been planted, including cypresses, flamboyants, Roystonea Regia palms, Monstera Deliciosa, Ficus Repen and shrubs, as well as areas with aromatic plants. However, most of the trees are Musa Paradisiaca, a tribute to the old banana plantations that occupied the site before they were converted to industrial use. This type of banana tree grows fast, reaches 7 m high , usually flowers in summer and needs to be oriented towards the sun, so the chosen place is ideal.

▼游览路径，Visiting route

▼大量种植的Musa Paradisiaca回应了场地曾长期作为香蕉种植园的历史，Most of the trees are Musa Paradisiaca, a tribute to the old banana plantations that occupied the site before they were converted to industrial use

▼花园细节，Detail

以上这些植物尽管不是大规模的种植，但它们在文化空间的周围创造了一个具有生态恢复意义的小型公共花园。在油罐附近，植物的选择为关于工业废墟的怀旧情绪做出了让步，通过置入一些柏树，将罐体的铁质结构的一角包裹在绿色之中。这种柏树是加那利群岛的天然树种，不会对其周围的其他物种造成破坏。在接下来的几年里，这些柏树将很快生长至20米的高度，直径将达到约60厘米——这也体现了对场地旧蓄水池墙壁周长的致敬——高大的身姿使其看上去犹如一方土地的守卫者，将为整个花园带来某种具有纪念感的氛围。

These are the species that predominate in the Jardín del Tanque, making up what has been called an ecological restoration, although not on a large scale but rather creating a small public square-garden around a cultural space. In the vegetation, a single concession to the nostalgia that oozes the industrial ruin was included, incorporating some cypresses that will wrap a corner of the iron structure of the Tank in green. It is a natural species, adapted to the Canary Islands and harmless to the rest of the species that accompany it. Strategically planted to mark the perimeter of the historic wall of the reservoir, the cypresses will reach 20 m high and about 60 cm in diameter, so that they will look like the guardians of the place and will bring a certain monumentality to the entire compound. Pyramid shaped and fast growing, from its earliest years, these evergreen trees allow residents to enjoy a green environment while waiting for the rest of the vegetation to grow.

▼具有高度生物多样性的花园，A garden with high biodiversity

▼香蕉树，The banana trees

遵循修复El Tanque文化空间时所采取的再利用和回收原则，建筑师借助废料为该花园打造了照明和家具元素。例如，潜水用的氧气瓶被回收并改造为灯具。考虑到儿童也是花园的主要使用者之一，灯具的外观被设计成孩子们喜欢的小黄人般的造型。此外，灯具的朝向也体现了对环境的关注，其摆放的位置有助于缓解光污染。绿植也采用回收水进行浇灌。

Following the same line of re-use and recycling that he already applied in the rehabilitation of the El Tanque Cultural Space, for the garden, the architect designs the lighting and furniture elements with waste. Thus, divers’ oxygen bottles are recovered from the garbage and adapted to be used as lamps. And, since one of the main users of the garden are children, the lamps’ appearance may reming the Minions, the cartoon characters so much loved by children. Care for the environmental impact is also perceived in the orientation of the lamp so that it avoids light pollution, as well as in the watering of the greenery, which is supplied with recycled water.

▼潜水用的氧气瓶被回收并改造为灯具

The lamps of the El Tanque Garden have been made with recycled diving bottles

▼入口夜景，Night view of the access

▼花园夜景，The garden by night

▼花园和油罐夜景，The garden and the El Tanque Cultural Space by night

▼场地平面图，Site plan

▼平面图，Plan

▼功能布局示意，Program – Axon

▼剖面图示意，Program section

▼立面图，Elevations

▼花园剖面图1 ，Section 1

▼花园剖面图2 ，Section 2

▼种植平面示意，Vegetation plan

▼种植剖面示意，Vegetation section

▼灯具细节，Lamp detail

El Tanque Garden Facts:

Address: C/Adán Martín Menis s/n 38003 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

Completion: 2022

M2 site: 5.714,55 m2 (2.210 m2 garden)

M2 : 2.563,75m2 (environment 1.989,63 m2+ tank 574,12m2)

Cost: 480.086,74 €

Architect: Fernando Menis

Client: Consejería de Educación, Universidades, Cultura y Deportes del Gobierno de las Islas Canarias, Dirección General de Patrimonio Cultural (The Government of the Canary Islands)

Initiative: Association Amigos del Espacio Cultural El Tanque

Design project team: Jesús Montejano, Javier Espílez, Joanna Makowska-Czerska, Yanira León

Consultants: Ruperto S. Hernández González (Technical Architect and Director of building works); Prisma Ingenieros SLP (Building services engineer); Interjardín SL (Gardening); Cristina Saavedra (Logo Graphic Design)

Companies: Señalizaciones VillarPlantas (asphalt); Interjardín S.L (soil and plants); Zumtobel (lighting); Refinería Cepsa (elements for recycled furniture); Eco Steel (locksmith); Hernández de la Guardia (paint); Fachadas Dimurol S.L (painter)

Construction companies: UTE Señalizaciones Villar S.A and Interjardín S.L.