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Architects: FIVE OH FIVE
- Area: 270 m²
- Year: 2025


The Dragon Tree of Icod de los Vinos, in Tenerife, is the oldest specimen of Dracaena Drago, which is preserved in the Atlantic archipelago, a tree 16 m high with a 20 m circumference at the base. An endemic species of the Canary Islands, with a slow growth, the dragon tree has a strong symbolism since, in the past, it was considered the protector of the islands, but, at the beginning of the 1980s, the one who needed protection was precisely the dragon tree. Visitors - about 1 million a year - flocked to visit it, and the intense activity that tourism brought around it put its life in danger. It was necessary to stop the visits and find solutions so that the drago tree did not die of success.

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As part of the fifth edition of the Tank Festival, on July 6, 2019, at 7:30 p.m., in the vacant lot currently surrounding the El Tanque Cultural Space in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the works of more than 30 artists will be displayed—literally—on a tower created from wooden chairs. This action will advocate for strengthening the Cultural Space through consistent programming and appropriate public funding, as well as for the renovation of its surroundings based on the design by architect Fernando Menis, who proposed a banana tree garden.

In the year marking the centenary of his birth, the fifth edition of the Canary Islands' Tank Festival is dedicating an event to the work and memory of artist César Manrique. The event will feature a screening of the documentary "Taro, el eco de Manrique" (58 min., Miguel G. Morales), a feature film that brings us closer to the figure and ecological message of the Spanish artist, born in Lanzarote, through his own voice, reflections, actions, and projects. His involvement, his advocacy, his confrontations with authorities and developers, and his commitment to the cultural and landscape values of Lanzarote transformed him into a symbol, adding a socio-political dimension to his creative personality. The screening will be followed by a discussion between the documentary's director, Miguel G., and architect Fernando Menis. This event is held in collaboration with the César Manrique Foundation and the Hatching Festival.



