The Museu Fester de Calp is getting closer to becoming a reality. House of Poquet Beltrán of the municipality, located between Plaza España and Calle Justicia, now has a slightly clearer future after the council acquired it in 2022. Yesterday, the town hall's plenary hall hosted the presentation of the long-awaited project where all of Calp's festive traditions will be housed to be shown to the world.
The architects Juan Tent and María Mas, from Procon Engineering of Benissa, presented the project after the intervention of Ana Sala, Mayor of Calp. Sala explained that the former Museu Fester is closed for 15 yearsThis new museum will be a way to "revitalize the old town" Calpino, in a "house that has been unused since time immemorial," he noted. It was also announced that the tender for the works will be launched as soon as possible, in order to complete the renovated Museu Fester. The project has a budget of 1.664.000 Euros, financing that will be made possible with 401.722 euros from the European Next Generation funds and the other part will be with the council's own funds. The works, when they begin, will have a execution period of 10 months.
Given the curiosity of the attendees, it was clarified that to shape the new museum It will be necessary to demolish the current Beltrán House, since after the relevant studies the technicians have certified that it is very deteriorated"We've tried to keep both this and the 21st-century Tourist Office buildings, but due to the structural inconsistencies, this won't be possible," Sala explained.
"A contemporary architectural landmark, respectfully integrated with its surroundings"
Architect Tent, for his part, was responsible for outlining and allowing the public to visualize what Calp's future festival center will look like. Based on an innovative and more modern design, The next Museu Fester will be "a contemporary architectural landmark, respectfully integrating with its surroundings", of approximately 400 m², with a ground floor and two upper floors." This will ensure that harmony is maintained with its surroundings and the rest of the surrounding buildings. What will stand out at a glance will be "a white lacquered ceramic lattice" on the façade, which will allow for “plays of light and shadow” in the building. "It will be like a second skin, which can be backlit." to adapt to the colors of the initiative you want to highlight at any given time of year.
Each plant, a festive theme
Each of the building's levels will house a different theme, starting the visit to the festive traditions on the second floor. This 87 m² floor will be more focused on patron saint festivals, such as those of the Mare de Déu de les Neus, the Virgen del Carmen, La Merced, the Bous al Carrer, or Holy Week. Tent emphasized that it will be a floor with good natural lighting and will have a terrace, "which will be able to host exhibitions or outdoor events" in the warmer months, and a multipurpose room with capacity for 25 or 30 people.
The first floor, with an area of 170 m², will be dedicated to the Moors and Christians festival, its evolution in Calp and the distinctive Miracle. Inside, it will contain defining elements of the festivities, such as pennants and traditional paraphernalia. The layout will be characterized by being darker, "to highlight the brightness of the festive costumes" which will be displayed and changed each year depending on the prominent positions. On this floor there will be a "infinity" experience, with mirrors.
Immersive room visible from the outside
The ground floor, of 160 m², will stand out, above all, for a immersive multimedia room, "with screens on walls and ceilings" This will immerse visitors fully in the festivities of Calpe and can be viewed from the outside. The room will be located in a corner of the building, something that stands out at first glance in the snapshots of the project presentation. It will also house the museum's reception, a meeting room, technical services, restrooms, an elevator, and stairs.
The Fester Museum is part of Calp's Sustainable Tourism Destination Plan, within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, financed by European funds (Next Generation EU) with the support of the Valencian Community Tourism Department (Turisme Comunitat Valenciana) and the State Secretariat for Tourism.
