Sistine Chapel’ of Being Restored, Main Picture
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Section:OBS 2N PaGe:27 Edition Date:210228 Edition:01 Zone: Sent at 27/2/2021 15:42 cYanmaGentaYellowbl • The Observer World 28.02.21 27 What is pelota? Pelota is the general name given to a number of ball games that are played against a wall with bare hands, bats, rackets or baskets, perhaps most familiar to many people because of the jai alai variant of the game that features in the opening titles of the 1980s TV series Miami Vice. Basque pelota, which is popular in parts of Spain and France, spread across Spain’s former empire and is still played in countries including Cuba, Argentina, the Philippines and the US, but federations also exist in Sweden, India and the Netherlands. Th e pelota played at the Frontón Beti-Jai was joko garbi (meaning “clean game” in Basque), the forerunner of the modern game cesta punta, also known as jai alai (happy festival). Th e Bet i-Jai stadium could accommodate 4,000 spectators in its four-storey grandstand. Built in 1893 to capitalise on the popularity of pelota, left, the Beti-Jai fell into disrepair before The ‘Sistine Chapel’ of being restored, main picture. Denis Doyle/ pelota bounces back as a the Observer centre of Spanish culture Campaigners call for But six years ago, before the site Designed by the architect Joaquín tre of all that because four frontónes website Flickr attracted huge interest was bought by Madrid city council Rucoba , the Beti-Jai was built to cap- were built in the city between 1891 and led to the formation of the con- historic sports venue following a campaign by architects, italise on the popularity of pelota, and 1894. It was like building four servation group. But while the build- in Madrid to become a residents and pelota fans, the frontón which found favour in Madrid in the Bernabéu stadiums in four years.” ing may have been saved, the battle was teetering on the edge of collapse. late-19th century after it became fash- And that, adds Larumbe, also is not over. world heritage site after “It was as if a forest had sprung up ionable among the monarchy and explains why they were so short-lived “The Beti-Jai was designed by one its €38m restoration. on the court and there were shrubs upper classes who took to it while – “imagine the brutal competition of the great architects of the time,” Sam Jones reports everywhere,” says Cristina Moreno , holidaying in the Basque country. between them when you had daily says González Martín. “But it’s also the city council’s municipal architect. “The building Rucoba designed is games in a city which, at that time, really important on a neighbourhood “The wooden roof was damp, there interesting architecturally because it had a population of 500,000 people”. level. We want the original building to had been a fi re and the bricks had uses pre fabricated iron girders and Even before the pelota matches stay as it is and not undergo any alter- Beneath a pale-blue late-winter sky, crumbled . It was a miracle the whole there’s a huge contrast between the stopped at the Beti-Jai in 1918, the ation, such as lifts or a roof. And we and behind an elegant but unasunas-- place was still standing.”stan exterior facade, which is heavy, aus- site had found other uses. Leonardo want to see it put into public use for suming facade, one of Madrid’sdrid’s greatgreat NowNow the buildingbuild has been tere brick in the neomudéjar style, and Torres Quevedo , the Spanish engi- sporting and cultural events because unsung survivors sits waiting,aiting, once conserved – at a cost of €38m the interior, which is light and very neer and pioneer of wireless remote it’s now in public hands.” more, for news of the latestatest in a – the debate is about how is decorative,” says Moreno. control – best known for design- The campaigners would now also long and improbable serieseries ofof should be used andan whether it But for all its grace and beauty – ing the Whirlpool AeroCar cable car like the frontón to be declared a world metamorphoses. should be modernisedmodernise and encased not to mention the skill of the pelo- that has been carrying people over heritage site by Unesco. Since its inaugurationn 127 underunder a gglasslass rooroof.f. IIff another €10m taris who played in front of crowds of Niagara Falls for more than a century “You need to think about it like years ago, the Frontón BetiBeti-- cancan be foundfound to insinstallt electricity 4,000 spectators – the Beti-Jai was as – tested his devices there in 1905. Pompeii, because the Beti-Jai is as it Jai , built at the height ooff the and water and brinbringg tthe Beti-Jai up much a business as a temple to aes- The frontón was also used as a mili- was back then,” says Larumbe. “Its Spanish capital’s love affairir with to modern sasafetyfety stanstandards, it could thetics and athletics. Over the course tary academy, a Studebaker car show- miraculous survival meant it could be the Basque game of pelotata , has bebe used as a sports venueven – the pelota of its 24 years as a pelota venue, a room, a Harley-Davidson dealership restored to all its architectural glory.” echoed with the crack of leather-eather- courtcourt is suitable forfor theth game’s many huge amount of money rode on the and then, during the Spanish civil A serious car accident in the early stitched balls, with cheers,cheers, varieties – and to ststagea plays, con- balls that bounced off its walls. war, as a police station and prison. 1980s brought his playing days to screams, the thrill of invention,ention, certs anandd otherother events.events. “The Beti-Jai represents the begin- By the time Igor González Martín , a a premature end but last year, well the gunning of thirsty Americanmerican Since the restoratrestorationi ended in ning of the industrialisation, or pro- Basque IT specialist living in Madrid, into his 70s, Larumbe became the engines and, most recently,tly, the 2019, the frontónfrontón hhasa been open fessionalisation, of pelota; of the time stumbled across the site in 2008, it fi rst pelotari to send a ball glancing chirping of the birds who nestednested to the ppublicublic on only a few of when you had entrepreneurs build- was all but lost. off the frontón’s walls in more than in its almost terminal decay.ay. occasions.occasions. But over the next ing frontónes and organising games “There were weeds everywhere, a century. Today, the Frontón Beti-Jaii-Jai is two months it canc be visited, for people to bet on,” says Fernando birds cheeping – and rats, because of “ It would have been amazing to the fi nest survi ving examplemple ofof by appointmentappointment and in small Larumbe, a former Jesuit and pelota all the rubbish,” he says. “You could have actually played there,” he says. a late-19th century pelotaa court groups,groups, as partpart ofof the city coun- world champion who is also a founder see there was a beautiful building “It would have been like walk- in the world, and also lays claim cil’scil’s annual freefree historic tours . member of the Plataforma Salvemos there, but it was in total decay.” ing out into the Bernabéu or the to being the oldest originalal and el frontón de Beti-Jai , which cam- González Martín took his camera Maracanã. You’d be playing in the unaltered modern-era sportingorting A pelotari cacatchest a ball paigned for years to save the site. with him on that visit 13 years ago Sistine Chapel of pelota in front of venue in Europe. in a cesta puntapun basket. “Madrid was the symbolic cen- and the photos he uploaded to the 4,000 people.” .