AFTER a year and a half of reformation work on Palma's historic former market building, which is now an exhibiton centre, Sa Llonja, technicians began this week - very carefully - to strip the 17th century roof, ultimately planning to replace it with a flat design by Majorcan architect Pere Rabassa.
In fact, when Guillem Sagrera designed the structure back in the 15th century, he had planned for the roof to be flat and it had remained so until the 17th century, when it was replaced by a four-sided sloping tiled cover.
Supporters of Rabassa's design, only recently accepted, say that Sa Llonja will therefore be returning to its original concept whilst critics suggest the ridged, crown-style peak of the building should have been maintained.
The process of dismantling a roof, now nearly four hundred years old, is painstaking and will have to be done in stages. At the same time, operations will be undertaken to make the base floor of the roof waterproof. Rabassa explained that a special layer of mortar will need to be applied which, whilst keeping out the rain, will allow air to circulate.