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IVAM Returns to Alcoy: New Air Conditioning Tender Finalized

Two years after its closure due to technical issues, Alcoy City Council is moving forward with the tender for a new air conditioning system to allow exhibitions to resume.

Generic image of the exterior of a modernist building in Alcoy.
IA

Generic image of the exterior of a modernist building in Alcoy.

Alcoy City Council is close to tendering the new air conditioning system for the IVAM Cada Alcoi hall, closed for two years due to technical issues, with a budget that has tripled to 470,000 euros.

Two years have passed since the IVAM closed its hall in Alcoy and removed the exhibited works due to an air conditioning problem. The essential requirement for the return of exhibitions was to guarantee optimal climatic conditions, which involved replacing the system. This task falls under the responsibility of the City Council, which is in charge of maintaining the building housing the IVAM Cada Alcoi.
Now, the situation appears to be moving towards resolution. The City Council has the necessary project and is finalizing the tender specifications for the new system. As announced by the Councilor for Culture, Elisa Guillem, once the new municipal budget is approved, the tender and contracting process can proceed.
The path to this point has not been easy. What was initially planned as an urgent procedure with a budget of around 150,000 euros has ended up tripling to 470,000 euros. This is due to the need to install a custom-made machine, as the required apparatus is not available on the market and must be specially constructed to ensure the necessary temperature and humidity conditions.
The incident that triggered the closure occurred on June 12, 2024, when monitoring records indicated that the hall's temperature had briefly risen to 25 degrees Celsius, three degrees above the optimal level. Municipal technicians informed the IVAM and closed the hall as a precautionary measure to preserve the 180 pieces from the exhibition 'Josep Renau: making art operative. Designing the future'.
A week later, the Conselleria de Cultura announced the exhibition's transfer to the Centre Julio González in València until the hall's climatic stability could be guaranteed. Subsequent studies confirmed that the artworks had not suffered any damage. The exhibition left Alcoy on June 26, 2024, and since then the IVAM has not exhibited there again, although the City Council has occasionally used the hall for other events.
It is worth remembering that the building, owned by the Fundació Mediterrani, is a modernist structure from 1909 that previously housed the Monte de Piedad y Caja de Ahorros de Alcoy. The facilities are shared by floors between the IVAM and the Alcoy City Council, which is responsible for maintenance as per the established agreement.

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