"When you come here, you can see things that you don't see in photos." The words of one of the twenty or so architects who visited Palma's GESA Building on Wednesday. Most people's impressions come from photos or from observations of a building that can typically generate a negative reaction. It's an eyesore. Demolish it.
The architects think otherwise. They all stand to win the competition for the building's renaissance. "This is a competition of the highest calibre," says the same architect, who with others was able to get a first-hand appreciation not just of the exterior but of the interior of a structure considered to be iconic in terms of 1960s commercial architecture. (The building didn't actually open until the following decade.)
Another architect expressed his admiration for what was the work of Mallorcan architect, Josep Ferragut. "It's an architectural landmark, and this building has a bright future in the city, despite what some residents may think. It's a privilege to work on this competition. It would be wonderful to be able to restore this building."
The architects were from Spain and abroad. It is an international competition for a town hall stellar project. There are 30,000 square metres to be redeveloped. The building will form the centrepiece of the Palma Culture & Innovation Bay plan, which is scheduled to be completed - it is hoped - by 2031, the year when the town hall also hopes that Palma will be a European Capital of Culture.
A building with listed status, various of its features will have to be retained. As to uses, the architects have been given free rein for proposals relating to 20% of the building. The uses will otherwise be split equally between administrative and cultural/social purposes. The total budget is 91 million euros.
The deadline for the architects' submissions is in a few weeks' time - the first of April.