By the middle of 2024, the old Coca-Cola bottling plant in Palma will open as Motorworld Mallorca. The German Motorworld company acquired the site in 2017 and started work on conversion in October last year.
Mathias J. Buttkus, manager of Motorworld Mallorca, says that the first phase, the demolition phase, is over. The facades have been removed but the internal structure remains. Work is now focused on the structure, and the new facade and roof will be in place in the autumn.
He explains that each Motorworld centre is adapted to its location. "In the case of Palma, we are maintaining the structure of the bottling plant, we are restoring it and we want to enhance its industrial heritage." There will be no admission fee to a centre with classic cars and sports cars, workshops, themed restaurants, areas for the sale of vehicles and advice on mobility.
Plans include the hosting of mass events. "The location is perfect as we won't bother anyone. It's not in an urban area, while its proximity to the airport is a great advantage." The centre will have modular spaces to host meetings for six to 1,000 people. There will be up 300 parking spaces with electric vehicle charging, and the entire roof will be covered with solar panels "to achieve maximum self-consumption of energy".
The Coca-Cola plant closed in 2014. The decision to close it led to protests and to criticisms of the then government, the Partido Popular, for not having done more to prevent closure.