VII.53 Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzin, Grenada (Spain)
Following the session of the Bureau in June 1997, the work on the Rey Chico festivities hall situated between the Alhambra and the Albayzin on the left bank of the Rio Darro had been halted and a UNESCO-ICOMOS mission was undertaken in November 1997.
The conclusions of the mission were the following:
1. the building as such does not pose major problems,
2. however, the use of the building as a festivities hall for 1000 people is incompatible with the site (access roads, traffic, noise etc.). It is recommended, therefore, that the use of the building be reviewed;
3. areas adjacent to the building should be declared 'non-constructable' to enable an appropriate landscaping of the valley of the Rio Darro;
4. the management plan for the Alhambra, the Generalife and Albaycin should be revised and incorporated in an overall comprehensive management plan for the site. This should be supervised by a scientific committee involving UNESCO, as was recommended by the Bureau at its session June 1997.
Having examined the above information, the Committee endorsed the recommendations made by the UNESCO-ICOMOS mission and urged the Spanish authorities to implement them. The Committee requested the Spanish authorities to submit a report on the progress made in their implementation by 15 April 1998 for examination by the twenty-second session of the Bureau.