The foundation of “La Fábrica de Tabacos”, an University of Seville historic building

Abstract

One of the main works to be developed by the University of Seville in the building of “La Fábrica de Tabacos” restoration, consists of an underground galleries net to pass by installations and other facilitites for the new uses of this historic building. To execute these galleries, we need to know the dimensions and typologies of the building foundations and also the history of its construction, because it could reveal us the possible existence of archaeological remains. This paper investigates, both through the building history and through some specific underground explorations, the knowledge of this building foundations and the real possibilities to carry out these galleries without archaeological incidences. The building sits on a land formerly depressed and later excavated to the full extent of the plant, and whose foundations were executed from below as walls and pillars, and being later all the plant filled to the ground level by providing current soil.