The building was a Secondary School in the middle of the 19th century and a large part of the 20th. During the time it was a school, important alterations were carried out in it which changed the interior layout and its façades.
The general composition of the building is an almost exact copy of the Colegio de las Puras, marked by eclectic elements of a classicistic origin.
The central courtyard of the present School of Arts, which belonged to the old convent of St. Dominic, dates from the 18th century and is currently an exceptional setting for exhibitions and cultural activities revolving around the life of Almeria.
The third floor, designed by the architect Guillermo Langle Rubio, is an extension whose interior is inset in order not to interfere with the view of the cloister.
