Ten years after the closure of the business that once occupied its ground floor, Casa Roca is preparing to reopen with a new purpose. The British-owned company that acquired the historic building, located next to Calle Sindicato, is getting ready to open its doors again. Its new owner, Espais Roca, hopes to relaunch the property in February or March next year, following more than two years of intensive refurbishment of the entire building.
In fact, from next year it will begin marketing its rooms as tourist accommodation. Meanwhile, sources at Espai Roca have expressed their satisfaction, as over these years they have carried out a careful restoration of the property, preserving its spirit as well as the memory of the much-loved stationery shop, which closed in 2016 after 166 years of commercial history in the heart of the Casc Antic.
At present, the British company is finalising the building work and the various certifications. In addition, it is carrying out in-depth research into Catalina Torrents (the sixth generation of Casa Roca) and her family’s history. “The Torrents family has given us permission to use the family names to name the suites and apartments. In this way, we can preserve the history of the five generations of the family and their contributions to both the business and the city of Palma,” Espais Roca explains.
The new owners of Casa Roca are gathering family stories and reviewing photographic archives containing treasures dating back to the 1880s. After all, Casa Roca originally began as a shop selling cigarette paper and matches from the family factory. In addition, the commercial premises on the ground floor are expected to open to the public to sell wine from the island and other Mallorcan products. The new Casa Roca is working with several Mallorcan vineyards which, according to the new owners of the iconic establishment, “have been producing wine for generations as family businesses. However, there will also be space for young and innovative producers.” The restoration of the furniture is also under way.
After ten years since the closure of the building and its emblematic shop, Casa Roca is preparing to reopen while honouring the legacy of the Torrents family.
Espais Roca, a British-owned company, has since 2018 been dedicated to acquiring distinctive buildings in Great Britain, Portugal and Malta, refurbishing them and then converting them for tourist rental.
Susan Butler is the owner of the company and its designer. On previous occasions she has stated: “At Espais Roca we renovate iconic but somewhat neglected buildings to restore them to their former glory. These refurbishments are adapted to a modern lifestyle, offering comfort and luxury, without losing any of the features that make these properties special.”
Espais Roca has several establishments across Europe. Two of them are in the British village of Lipston, which has just over six hundred inhabitants. These are joined by four in Porto and one in Lisbon, as well as one in Malta, which received the award for Best Restoration and Refurbishment Project in 2019.