The abandoned municipal mud bath in the Torrevieja Lagoon Natural Park, popularly known as the “seashell” and the “cigar,” caught fire yesterday, Tuesday April 14th, leaving a dense column of smoke visible from several kilometres away, including neighbouring municipalities such as Los Montesinos.
Two fire engines, two patrol cars, and one local police car were called to the area, and they finished their work after three hours.
The fire primarily affected the exterior made of wood, but firefighters also had to intervene inside the helical structure of the building promoted by the City Council and designed by the famous Japanese architect Toyo Ito. The building had been abandoned for more than fifteen years without completion due to its location in the public maritime domain.
The resort, in which the municipality invested more than one million euros without the necessary Coastal Authority authorisations, has seen multiple catastrophic fires in recent years, and what remains of its structure has been entirely vandalised.
This dismal state has also made it a popular destination for groups of young people and interested observers, as it has become a well-known urban ruin of early-2000s boom architecture, and it was formerly a homeless shelter.
The predominant belief is that the fire was purposely started. Since Sunday, the area has received more than 20 litres of rain per square metre, resulting in a level of humidity that makes it unlikely that the fire began organically.
Project Rescue
Last December, the City Council made another step toward redeveloping this area, which is a big residential zone adjacent to the Torrevieja salt lagoon. It’s a run-down neighbourhood known—some claim without much evidence—for holding the modest terraced houses given away on the Spanish television show “Un, dos, tres” in the 1980s.
The City Council approved the C-2 “Punta de la Víbora” Agreement project of the General Plan, also known as Torreta III, with a budget of 9,656,250 euros. The project involves creating a green area next to the Torrevieja lagoon, partially redeveloping the residential area, and possibly rescuing the “seashell” for relocation.
