Geological concepts in the architectural works of Fernando Menis in Tenerife

Abstract

This work relates the various phenomena that act in the earth’s crust and the geological materials with ways of projecting architecture. To carry out this reflection, the work has been divided into two essays. The first one, theoretical, exposes the relations which exist between geology and architecture. It describes, on one hand, the importance of knowing the mechanical behavior of materials; on the other hand, it refers to the relationship of architecture with its environment and in particular the benefits that can be gained from it; in a final section, the types of geological processes which have had influence in the architecture are presented. The second essay of the paper applies the theories previously announced with the description of some selected projects. Due to its close relationship with the matter and energy of the Earth, the work by architect Fernando Menis has been chosen to perform the analysis. The description is divided into four different projects: Hatching, El Guincho pool, Santísimo Redentor church and Insular Athletics Centre in Tenerife, chosen as representative of each geological phenomenon considered. Finally, one last case study, the MAGMA Congress building is analyzed as a comprehensive example where all the above phenomena are exposed.