Tourist apartments to occupy Filella building as Grupo ABU relocates
The Filella Building, a significant architectural landmark in Seville, is leaving its historical status as it undergoes a transformation. The building, designed by architect José Espiau y Muñoz in the early 20th century for the Company of Insurance La Adriática, is now set to accommodate tourist apartments.
This conversion aligns with a broader trend in the city, where historic buildings are being adapted for tourism-related uses. The project is planned or in progress, subject to necessary permits and renovations.
Urban Planning has issued a favorable report for a license request to adapt the Filella Building, approving it from both a heritage and fire safety perspective. The four-story building will have a total of seven tourist apartments, with two per floor and one in the attic.
Meanwhile, another property in the city center, the Bellver family house on Plaza del Museo, is also being adapted for apartments. Unlike the Filella Building, the Bellver family house was not originally designed by architect José Espiau y Muñoz. It is located in the city center and is partially protected at grade C. The house, previously a residential property, will be converted into 17 apartments.
Urban Planning has also given the green light to the hotel project of the Bellver family house on Plaza del Museo. Until its move, the house housed the entire artistic legacy of the Bellver family.
Grupo Abu, headquartered in the Filella Building on Avenida de la Constitución in Seville, is moving its offices to another property in the city center. Jesús Vera, a founding partner and majority shareholder of Grupo Abu, has led the group for almost a decade in the Filella Building.
The Filella Building's future is now focused on tourism, reflecting a shift in use from its previous functions. The Bellver family house on Plaza del Museo, while not a significant architectural landmark like the Filella Building, is one of the latest cases of properties being adapted for apartments in the city center of Seville.
- The transformation of the Filella Building, originally designed by architect José Espiau y Muñoz for insurance company La Adriática, involves investing in real-estate, as it will be converted into tourist apartments.
- In contrast, the Bellver family house on Plaza del Museo, though not designed by Espiau y Muñoz, is also being adapted for apartments, demonstrating a trend in Seville's urban development that includes finance and real-estate investments.
