AMU
This colonial palace (there are reports of its existence since 1641), was the residence of Count Juan Xavier de Solórzano in 1806 and of Juan Bautista Arismendi and Luisa Caceres de Arismendi between 1819 and 1841. The neoclassic building, with two floors and basement, is divided into three areas: the main building, the cloister and the courtyard. The first has two levels with a neoclassic façade; the second, the cloister, is a two-level colonial structure, and finally, the courtyard is a one-level area with a central courtyard surrounded by rooms. Its main transformation was by Chataing in 1904, to be the seat of the National Academy of Fine Arts, when the internal distribution was modified, the assembly hall was built and the workshops were renewed to provide them with overhead lighting using metallic structures. Also, a new façade was created, organized in three sections for compositional balance, but accentuating the formal load on the central body, with a pediment. From here three busts, representing three fine arts, overlook the street. Since 1916 it has been called the José Angel Lamas Higher School of Music. It was declared a Historical Monument in 1976. In 1995, the Institute of Cultural Heritage commissioned the building’s renewal and expansion project to Gorka Dorronsoro. The renewal started with partial works and was stopped in 1999.
DF-22