The intention, he said, is to use the building as "a multicultural space". The agreement to purchase the building from the electricity company Endesa will be formalised during the first quarter of this year, with the funding being supported by ten million euros of EU Next Generation funds. The mayor pointed out that the deadline for presenting projects for Next Generation funds ends on Monday.
While the purchase has yet to go ahead, Martínez was hopeful that work on transforming the building will start during the current period of administration (which will end in May 2027). The project for redevelopment, he noted, will take around 30 months.
"The GESA building will host contemporary art 'in capital letters' in order to create culture 'in capital letters'. It will be a national and international showcase, with works and projects aimed at improving competitiveness within the tourism framework."
Negotiations with Endesa are said to very advanced and the agreement is almost ready. As well as the purchase, the agreement will free the town hall from paying 50 million euros plus interest (a total nearer to 60 million) for claims made by Endesa. These will be withdrawn.
Once the town hall takes ownership, the mayor explained, there will be "a quick, international competition for architectural ideas". These will have to take into account five or six floors dedicated to modern art, rooms for various cultural purposes, an auditorium, a library and city archive, the headquarters for the Municipal Institute of the Arts, an open-air museum and spaces for innovation in the arts, and catering services.
As to the exterior, this will largely be preserved. But there will be rehabilitation work, which already has the approval of the Council of Mallorca and Palma's Historical Centre Commission, to include solar panels.
The new GESA building, the mayor added, will form part of Palma's aspirations to be the European Capital of Culture in 2030.
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The incoherency of James’ rant weirdly sums up the total inadequacy of thought, planning or imagination in the Mallorcan mindset. They don’t see what they’ve got, and can’t see what to do. Loads of great ideas have been mooted for this eyesore. But Mallorcan “sentimentality” will keep it an eyesore for way longer than it needs be. As ever, it’s about money.
Once again really what is this going to become with all do respect the building look´s like Hell it's an eyesore every day we get to see the beautiful raw cement block´s in the windows that were smashed where the squatters used to get in , the actual space in square meters is bigger than the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and really is there so much cultural activity in Palma ? This is really a very bad wet dream idea , it´s an EYSORE , SMASH IT DOWN !
As always my money is on it will never happen.
Hmmm. Usually when a council buys a property that they haven't the slightest idea what to do with they announce that it's going to be a centre for culture. A very big building just to show art! I would have thought that the better use of it would be to convert it into council housing since there appears to be a shortage.
Government wants to build an empty museum that no one will visit that's fine, I've seen worse projects, but then don't complain there's no housing and justify why squatters can take over my flat. People will be tricked into overpriced tickets to walk the halls of under-utilized space for art not good enough for any notable museum with unproductive government jobs handed out to operate this building all while our newly arrived friend from is changing the lock on my flat and the government will let them take it over because they don't have a place to live. The upside being I don't need to travel to Rome or Paris anymore because Palma has passed them all to become the European Capital of Culture.....right. Build whatever you want but just note you had a chance to address the housing problem and didn't, so you lose the ability to justify why someone could legally steal someone else's property.