Hotel Architecture on the Costa del Sol

The Origins of Mass Tourism on the Coast of Málaga

The phenomenon of tourism on the Costa del Sol emerged as an alternative to industrialization in Spain, which had been pioneering in metallurgy but was showing signs of exhaustion by the late 19th century. Counting on the benefits of a mild climate year-round, prominent personalities from local society sought to turn Málaga into a winter holiday destination. Although, initially, the activity was markedly elitist in nature, from the 1950s on, tourism became a mass phenomenon. The opening of the Franco regime to the exterior and the consequent injection of foreign capital further fed its growth.

The N-340 as the Connector

The Costa del Sol Tourism Board was created to handle the development of the Málaga coast, and its scope of action encompassed the entire coastal territory, not just the urban centres. Given the orographic configuration of the area, the land to be developed was a narrow coastal strip wedged between the mountains and the sea; the space was inevitably developed linearly along the path of the old N-340 highway. The road connected the different towns along the shore, and the new leisure complexes cropped up like islets in a previously unspoiled territory with immense landscape values.

Leisure Architecture on the Costa del Sol

After an early phase in which tourist developments followed the pattern of the garden city, hotel complexes began to be built, designed by highly prestigious architects who were prominent on the national scene. Focusing only on orientation and views, the sun and the sea, and guided by the principles of the Modern Movement, the buildings adhered to a well-defined type that offered significant technological innovations. The hotel programme was combined with the creative use of decoration rooted in craftmanship, later referred to as “relax style”.

A Legacy in Danger

Despite the value of this important heritage legacy, a series of painful losses have highlighted the need to safeguard a heritage that has been unfairly judged, having been associated with certain poor practices in urban planning; the protection provided up to now has been insufficient. However, recent events such as the heritage status granted to the building on paseo Marítimo 31 in Málaga are encouraging in this regard.

• In depth Hotel Architecture on the Costa del Sol