The City Council confirms that the main pedestrian artery of the historic centre will not have a shading system during the summer season. The new design is pending approval from Heritage.
The City Council of Seville confirmed this Thursday that Avenida de la Constitución will not have canopies during the summer of 2026. The mayor, José Luis Sanz, acknowledged that the new design for the shading system is awaiting approval from the Provincial Heritage Commission of the Junta de Andalucía, meaning it will not be operational until at least next year.
The decision comes just two days after the Urban Planning Management initiated the procedure to resolve the contract signed in 2021 with the company awarded the previous canopies system. The City Council considers that model closed, which included rental, assembly, disassembly, and maintenance, as well as the necessary adaptations on the avenue.
The termination of the contract is, according to the City Council, an essential step to be able to tender a new system, different from the one used so far and adapted to the technical and heritage criteria that are intended to be implemented.
A Project Marked by Delays
The shading plan for Avenida de la Constitución has been conditioned from the outset by continuous delays. Awarded in 2021 with the intention of providing service for three summers, the project did not receive Heritage's approval until January 2024, and installation did not begin to be seen on the street until the summer of 2025.
Last year, the canopies were not installed until Friday, August 23, when much of the summer had already passed. That design, supported by large concrete blocks placed on the sides of the avenue, generated criticism and led the municipal government to propose an alternative that ultimately replaced the initial model.
For the residents and merchants in the area, the news comes as a cold shower. Avenida de la Constitución is one of the main monumental axes of the city and experiences high pedestrian traffic, especially during the hot months. Without canopies, those who walk this route daily—from the Cathedral to Plaza de San Francisco—will have to seek refuge in the scarce shadows of the buildings or in the arcades of some adjacent streets.
Awaiting Approval from Heritage
While the previous contract is resolved, the City Council has designed a new canopy system and has submitted two proposals to the Provincial Heritage Commission. As explained by the Urban Planning delegate, Juan de la Rosa, it will be this body that determines which of the options is most suitable for an area of special heritage protection.
Once approval is obtained, the City Council plans to install a pilot cloth to check both the technical performance of the system and its visual integration into the avenue. If the test yields satisfactory results, the remaining necessary elements to complete the project will be manufactured and installed.
The mayor has stated that both proposals were presented on May 29 and that the City Council is still awaiting a response from the regional body. He also defended that the complexity of the action is due to the high heritage value of the area and maintained that the current government is the only one that has promoted initiatives to provide shade to the avenue.
Meanwhile, residents, merchants, and thousands of tourists will continue to traverse one of Seville's main monumental axes this summer without the expected canopies. The project, after several changes in direction, returns almost to square one. The next key date will be the response from Heritage, which will determine whether the new system can begin to be installed in time for the summer of 2027.
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