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Benalmádena's iconic Bil Bil castle will close its doors at the end of the summer (potentially on 30 September) to undergo a renovation process, which will prepare it for its next stage of life, as it turns 100 years old in 2027.
The town hall has just put out to tender the contract for the modernisation of the building, which seeks to adapt to its new needs. El Bil Bil's main function is that of a cultural and tourist attraction, although it also hosts many civil weddings.
The companies interested in the project will have until 17 June to submit. Work is expected to begin in October, once the high tourist season has passed. A total investment of 827,096.15 euros is planned, financed to a large extent (654,000 euros) by the central government's plan for sustainable tourism. The rest of the budget will be financed by the town hall.
Among the renovations, the roof will be refurbished, the facades and other elements will be repaired, the current skylight will be replaced by one with a more contemporary design and better performance, and the carpentry and protective grilles will be restored.
Improving energy efficiency is a big part of the project. In addition, an area of the castle will be adapted to house the tourist information office, while another will be designed to host gastronomic activities. Benalmádena's councillor for works José Luis Bergillos said that other existing spaces - the three bathrooms, two rooms, the storeroom and the garage - will also be renovated, after years of "disuse due to lack of maintenance and refurbishment".
"This project seeks not only to improve thermal conditioning and energy efficiency, but also to enhance the castle's emblematic character, which has made it a reference point for our municipality," said mayor Juan Antonio Lara, who highlighted the objective of "offering a modern and functional image that reflects the natural, contemporary and welcoming character of Benalmádena and its coast".
The history of this building dates back to 1927, when the Spanish-French Hermann family, asked architect Enrique Atencia to build a summer residence on the Benalmádena coast. Atencia, influenced by Islamic architecture in vogue in Europe at the time, created this unusual project. He worked with his friend Antonio Santiesteban - a well-known restorer of the Alhambra in Granada.
The first owners were never able to live there, because the Civil War broke out and they left the country. The house was put up for sale. It was bought by an American family - the Schestroms - who used it as a private home for 30 years. It is believed that the current name comes from the initials of its owners: wife Elsa 'El', husband William, who went by the pet name Bil, and their son William: El Bil-Bil.
At the end of the 1970s, it was sold to a Belgian named Gerard Saintmoux. During this period, the building suffered total abandonment and consequent deterioration, accelerated by its proximity to the sea. The idea was to demolish it and build a tourist complex there, but this idea clashed head-on with the people, who did not want to lose this heritage.
In the early 1980s, when Enrique Bolín was mayor, Benalmádena town hall bought the building. The first intervention took place then, followed by another important refurbishment in 1994. Nothing has been touched since then, so this new project is a big and necessary step.
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