Fundación César Manrique
The Fundación César Manrique is a cultural institution on Lanzarote dedicated to preserving and promoting the work and legacy of the artist and architect César Manrique (1919–1992). It occupies Manrique’s former home and studio, an iconic building that fuses architecture with the island’s volcanic landscape.
What you can see there
Volcano House (Tahíche) — Manrique’s principal home and the Foundation’s main site, built into a lava flow and organized around natural volcanic bubbles connected by tunnels; includes gardens, pool, studio and exhibition rooms.
Palm Grove House (Haría) House Museum — the artist’s other house-museum with period rooms and displays of his paintings and sculptures.
Permanent collection and temporary exhibitions — works by Manrique alongside pieces by contemporary and historic artists; the Foundation also hosts cultural activities and educational programmes.
Volcano House (Tahíche) — overview
Volcano House (Taro de Tahíche) is César Manrique’s former home and the main site of the Fundación César Manrique, built directly into a hardened lava flow and open to the public as a museum and cultural space.
Architecture and design
Built into lava bubbles. The lower level is organized around five natural volcanic bubbles (cavities) that Manrique connected with tunnels; these volcanic rooms house living spaces, exhibition rooms and the artist’s studio.
Dialogue with the landscape. The house sits on a 30,000 m² plot where black basalt, volcanic ash and traditional low wind-screens contrast with lush planting, pools and terraces—an intentional fusion of art, architecture and Lanzarote’s volcanic environment.
History and significance
When and why. Manrique developed the house after returning from New York in the late 1960s; he lived there from about 1968 to 1988 and later established the Foundation to preserve his work and environmental vision.
Cultural role. The Volcano House is both a personal residence-turned-museum and a manifesto for Manrique’s belief that development should respect nature—its design influenced many of Lanzarote’s best-known cultural sites.
What you can see inside
- Lava rooms: the volcanic bubbles contain the main living and exhibition spaces, including Manrique’s former studio now used for rotating displays.
- Gardens and pool: terraces, a swimming pool and carefully composed planting contrast with the surrounding lava field.
- Permanent collection: works by Manrique alongside pieces from his personal collection and contemporary artists.
References
fcmanrique.org
,
www.lanzarote.com
,
fcmanrique.org (Tahiche)
,
canaryislandsinfo.co.uk
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