The Teguise Town Hall has announced that it has taken "the definitive step" for the complete recovery of the Luis Ramírez Modernist House in Caleta de Famara, the only Modernist property in Lanzarote that has been in a state of ruin for years.
The council has granted the municipal building permit that will allow intervention in the conservation of the interior part of the house, which is in addition to the facade restoration permit that was granted in February 2025, but whose work has not yet begun. The mayor of Teguise, Olivia Duque, explained to La Voz that the Canary Diocese, the owner of the property, has not started the facade works, pending the resolution of the authorization for the interior works, which was requested later.
This news comes after it was announced last May that the Cabildo de Lanzarote had let the file expire to protect this architectural work since June 9, 2024. This procedure to declare it a good of cultural interest due to its uniqueness has not yet been resumed either.
According to the council, the authorized action will allow "progress in the consolidation and interior conservation of the building, without an increase in volume or height". The project includes work on floors and roofs, the recovery of original elements, the conservation of hydraulic pavements, wooden carpentry, walls and coatings, as well as the updating of basic installations to guarantee the safety, habitability and conservation of the property.
The mayor of Teguise, Olivia Duque, highlighted that "this file is an example of heritage intervention that requires technical rigor, administrative coordination and respect for urban planning, environmental and heritage regulations”. Duque pointed out that “the Town Hall has done its part, processing the necessary municipal authorizations so that the property [the Canary Diocese] can advance in the recovery of a property of enormous value for Caleta de Famara and for the entire municipality”.
In this regard, she added that "the priority has been to guarantee an intervention compatible with the conservation of the asset, without altering its volume, its height or the elements that give it historical and architectural value”.
For her part, the Councilor for Urban Planning, Rita Hernández, stressed that "the Luis Ramírez Modernist House is not just an old dwelling; it is a piece of Teguise's memory facing the sea, an image that is part of the soul of Famara". Hernández stated that "for too long we have seen this building deteriorate little by little, and now there is a real opportunity to save heritage. We are not talking about building something new, but about taking care of what was already there, about allowing a unique building to come back to life without losing its identity".
A property of Luis Ramírez González ceded to the Church
The Luis Ramírez Modernist House was acquired by Luis Ramírez González in 1920 and renovated in 1933 to convert it into his summer residence. Its curved facade, with clear modernist influence, and the presence of original elements inside, such as hydraulic floors, woodwork, and characteristic construction details, make the property a unique reference within the architectural heritage of Lanzarote.
With this action, the Teguise Government group asserts that it "advances in the protection of an emblematic building and reinforces its commitment to the conservation of the municipality's historical heritage, especially in those properties that are part of the collective memory of its towns".