The House of Mercy at Las Cigarreras: A Cultural Centre the Size of a Football Field

The renovation of the House of Mercy at Las Cigarreras is progressing smoothly. If everything goes as planned, the first phase of the rehabilitation of this industrial heritage will be completed by November this year. The complex spans over 6,000 square metres, roughly the size of a regulation football field, which will be filled with culture and innovation, turning it into a hub for artistic industries.

Some details are still pending to fully furnish a space that represents the largest investment in cultural heritage in Alicante's history. However, most proposals are already clear. Thus, the House of Mercy will feature eight coworking rooms, meeting rooms, advisory services for entrepreneurs, podcast or streaming creation rooms, municipal services such as citizen attention (SAIC), among other proposals that will fill the rooms and corridors surrounding the two twin cloisters of the old Tobacco factory.

In total, more than 12 million euros are being invested to rehabilitate a space that will become a reference in the cultural industries of the province and a hub for innovation and creation. Moreover, this is just one of the phases of the project to recover this entire complex for the public. Specifically, there are four phases planned to utilise every last centimetre of what was once the old factory, amounting to a total of over 31 million euros for which the City Council is seeking funding.

However, the vocation of this new centre also aims to unite two historically separated neighbourhoods by the factory. Carolinas and San Antón will be connected through a tunnel that divided two parts of the complex and will soon allow residents to cross from one side to the other without having to go around. Thus, what was once a closed mass of large walls will become a permeable space to the surrounding neighbourhoods, full of opportunities for leisure, study, and innovation.

On the table, within the 6,000 square metres to be inaugurated this year, there is also a cutting-edge museum area - for which agreements with major collections and other proposals are being sought -, a bar, and a reading or study room with extended hours - not yet defined but aiming for between 12 and 24 hours. Despite its unassuming exterior, the building's three floors and thousands of square metres offer much, including a multipurpose room, exhibitions in its corridors, or a space dedicated to performing arts.

The renovation has unveiled some secrets that Alicante residents will soon discover. With the demolitions, a Moorish arch from the first House of Mercy was revealed, prompting a change in the floor plans to allow it to be fully visible. Additionally, the roof's industrial-style framework was crafted by disciples of the famous Eiffel. The building's original clay tiles have been preserved, and a new Civil War shelter has been discovered.

The renovation has also created an open space on the roof, promising to become one of the crowning jewels of the House of Mercy. The small terrace above one of the cloister wings has the potential to become one of Alicante's most coveted rooftops, as well as serving as a venue for events and activities.

The focus is on creations like the Naves de Valencia, another industrial heritage recovery project that has become a benchmark in Spain in recent years. The next step involves the management model that will govern the House of Mercy once the works are completed. Councillor for Innovation, Antonio Peral, advocates for the creation of a foundation, following the Valencia project's model, to adapt more quickly to the space's needs.

For Peral, this project is undoubtedly "the most iconic and emblematic of Alicante." The space promises to be filled with innovation, culture, and art, becoming a reference for these industries, as it was for decades in its previous life as a factory. "This will be the pride of all Alicante residents," the councillor proclaims with determination.