Wednesday would have been César Manrique’s 100th birthday, and the day was marked by a fantastic gathering at Jameos del Agua. His influence, and that of the fundacion, remain strong here, and long may that continue.
You are probably familiar with his works on this island, but did you know he was involved in many other projects in Spain? There’s Lago Martiánez in Puerto de la Cruz, in Tenerife – a fabulous complex of swimming pools and sculptures. He also designed a commercial centre in Madrid – CC La Vaguada, and Mirador de la Peña, a viewpoint in El Hierro.
He was a complex man – he fought on Franco’s side in the civil war and never spoke about it – and a multi talented one – artist, sculpture, engineer, architect.
It was while he was in New York, earning a living as an artist, that his vision for the future of Lanzarote came to him:
“When I returned from New York, I came with the intention of turning my native island into one of the more beautiful places in the planet, due to the endless possibilities that Lanzarote had to offer.”
He did a pretty good job, didn’t he?