Palma town hall is on a mission. You can't accuse the current administration of sitting on its hands. It has zeal in its hearts and announces it at every available opportunity. While there is a great deal of zealous bluster - just what is it with Aurora Jhardi and terraces - not all of what emanates from the town hall is fanatical nonsense. Take the announcement of a "landscaping plan" to bring some order and "dignity" to shopping streets and to shops themselves. The principle should be applauded, though how universal this will be has to be open to question. Getting rid of tatty facades and things that stick out from shop fronts might be easy and sensible for the old part of the city, but Playa de Palma?
The Cort talks the good talk of applying measures to all neighbourhoods, but there is more than just a slight suspicion that the administration sees very little further than the imminent surroundings of the privileged location of the town hall edifice: the old part of the city, in other words. Playa de Palma appears to have an alternative existence; it is a universe unoccupied by the town hall. At least the administration has been generous enough to stump up fifteen grand of "urgent" funding to replace rubbish containers that some malcontents appear to take delight in setting fire to.
Municipal-wide ordinance, which is to be the case with the "landscaping plan", takes no account of municipal diversity. While not advocating a charter for unbridled tattiness, it does seem to me as if the town hall believes that what is good for the old part is good for everywhere else. It doesn't necessarily follow that it is. This all-city approach is to be rolled out from the primary purpose of the plan, which is to establish order in the old part, where there is heritage in terms of architecture, appearance and atmosphere to be preserved.
There are other areas of Palma with heritage to be maintained. Es Molinar is a case in point. Here is somewhere with the feel and look of traditional seaside. It is a curio of a village appended to the city, but one that has been subjected to an architectural vandalism, made possible through unthinking permissiveness at the planning department (or possibly through something else; you can never be sure). Antoni Noguera, the mayor-in-waiting with his urban planning and "model of the city" responsibilities, tackles his brief with plenty of heart and sometimes with his head. He is absolutely right to insist that what goes on in Es Molinar should now be in line with its traditional architecture.
Sympathetic, in harmony, these should be the overriding objectives for developments of whatever sort in whichever location, whether Palma or elsewhere. Undoing the wrongs of the past and even the recent past, as is the case with Es Molinar, is largely impossible, but restorative measures can be applied; discipline can be introduced.
There are examples across Mallorca where a lack of discipline has been allowed to detract from urban centres and residential areas. In some instances, these collide. Puerto Pollensa is an example. The absence of discipline has given rise, away from the front line, to unlovely architectural competition. Puerto Pollensa is far from being the only example, but as with other resort areas it doesn't come under any sort of protected status that would allow development to at least attempt to create some harmony rather than the result, which is one by which nothing fits.
Applying a set of standards across a municipality as a whole, which is what Palma wishes to do, fails to appreciate that component parts of municipalities have their own specific needs. Rather than one size fits all, there should be (should have been) a customised approach through which character is established or maintained. This goes deeper than wide areas, such as resorts, it applies also to specific urbanisations. I can think of one in Playa de Muro.
The urbanisation grew, architecturally, almost by chance rather than by design, but sympathy was created by style of building and, as importantly, the use of colours - those of Mallorca's land, sky and sea. Blues, yellows, oranges, terra cottas have now been invaded by the fad for blocks of neutrals. Architectural faddism would doubtless argue that this type of new build is more efficient. But when the resulting construction consists of a wall almost totally of glass that, in summer, will face the full force of the sun, one would need to query such an argument.
Palma is right to wish to preserve appearance in its old centre, just as other municipalities have regulations to retain the traditional look of their old towns. Away from these protected areas, though, there is a free-for-all. Discipline should be imposed. Architect and developer whim should not be allowed to dictate and detract.
Showing posts with label Heritage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heritage. Show all posts
Friday, September 09, 2016
Thursday, November 20, 2014
The Price Of Preservation
Inca has a local publication called "Dijous". It is a weekly, though its title carries more significance than just a day of the week. It is a nod firmly in the direction of the annual fair which took place last week. "Dijous" has this year been celebrating forty years of existence, which is an achievement of continuous publishing compared with many local magazines that have come and gone since then. Ten years after its first issue hit the streets, the bars and the banks, its front page for the edition dated 22 November 1984 carried photos of the Dijous Bo fair and an editorial which had nothing to do with the fair. Its headline was "El Puig d'Inca, el Puig de Santa Magdalena".
It was an editorial which referred to "our hill". Whether the Puig d'Inca or the Puig de Santa Magdalena (either will do), the editorial was concerned that it might have been on the point of becoming the Puig de Mallorca. It was clueless as to what was meant by a statement which had been released the day before publication which said that the Council of Mallorca had bought the puig. It didn't understand how the Council had come to buy it or indeed why it had. It recognised that the Council wasn't about to start taking bits of the puig away or to begin developing it, but it bemoaned a sense of loss of "ownership", that among the people of Inca.
What the Council was principally interested in was the hermitage, the Ermita de Santa Magdalena and church. The religious community at the top of the hill had been there since the days of the Catalan conquest in the first half of the thirteenth century. In 1931 hermits of the congregation of Sant Pau and Sant Antoni came to the hermitage. A year after the Council acquired the hermitage, they left, not because they were kicked out but because their number was in decline. There was, by 1984, an issue about the hermitage going forward. Who would look after it and preserve it? The Council resolved the matter by acquiring it.
Once the hermits had left Santa Magdalena, a process of restoration was begun, and work on the interior of the temple was finished in 1994. Despite the misgivings expressed in the "Dijous" editorial, the hill of the people of Inca and its hermitage were being cared for by the Council, and I use the story of the hermitage as an example of the preservation that the Council has undertaken and of the preservation which other bodies have been responsible for.
Other acquisitions made by the Council have included Can Weyler in Palma, the old Gothic house in the Calle Pau, which was bought for over 1.5 million euros in 2010, while other organisations include Sa Nostra bank and the Fundació Illes Balears. This latter foundation, formed by the one-time president of the Balearics, Gabriel Cañellas, at the end of 1988, has acquired seven properties. Among them are: the castle of Sant Elm, which dates from the late thirteenth century and which was bought by the foundation in 1995; S'Illot, a finca in Albufera known also as Ses Puntes; Son Pax on the Sóller road out of Palma; the eighteenth-century fort in Cala Llonga. Among the acquisitions made by Sa Nostra is the regional museum in Artà.
There are, therefore, various organisations which devote resources to preserving the heritage of Mallorca and of the Balearics. These are very laudable efforts, but how effective is some of the preservation and how sensible might some of the acquisitions have been? Take Can Weyler, for instance. Its cost was in fact more than double the 1.5 million, as the total was 3.2 million to include restoration work. Two years ago, former occupants of the building, ARCA, the association for the revitalisation of old (town) centres, criticised the lack of restoration. The Council had forgotten Can Weyler. And then there is Sa Nostra, a bank founded in 1882 as a non-profit organisation whose profits go towards social and cultural work. A month ago "El País" was asking why there was such apparent silence regarding the affairs of Sa Nostra since it had become part of BMN, a bank formed by crisis-struck institutions like Sa Nostra. The report said that it was selling off some of its culturally and historically significant properties.
While the "Dijous" editorial in 1984 expressed its concerns, those were early days of autonomous government and of the Council's involvement in guaranteeing the future of Mallorca's heritage. It has unquestionably done a great deal of good in this regard, as have others. But one has to ask in certain instances at what cost and with what regard to ongoing restoration? 3.2 million euros at the height of the economic crisis was an awful lot of preservation commitment.
It was an editorial which referred to "our hill". Whether the Puig d'Inca or the Puig de Santa Magdalena (either will do), the editorial was concerned that it might have been on the point of becoming the Puig de Mallorca. It was clueless as to what was meant by a statement which had been released the day before publication which said that the Council of Mallorca had bought the puig. It didn't understand how the Council had come to buy it or indeed why it had. It recognised that the Council wasn't about to start taking bits of the puig away or to begin developing it, but it bemoaned a sense of loss of "ownership", that among the people of Inca.
What the Council was principally interested in was the hermitage, the Ermita de Santa Magdalena and church. The religious community at the top of the hill had been there since the days of the Catalan conquest in the first half of the thirteenth century. In 1931 hermits of the congregation of Sant Pau and Sant Antoni came to the hermitage. A year after the Council acquired the hermitage, they left, not because they were kicked out but because their number was in decline. There was, by 1984, an issue about the hermitage going forward. Who would look after it and preserve it? The Council resolved the matter by acquiring it.
Once the hermits had left Santa Magdalena, a process of restoration was begun, and work on the interior of the temple was finished in 1994. Despite the misgivings expressed in the "Dijous" editorial, the hill of the people of Inca and its hermitage were being cared for by the Council, and I use the story of the hermitage as an example of the preservation that the Council has undertaken and of the preservation which other bodies have been responsible for.
Other acquisitions made by the Council have included Can Weyler in Palma, the old Gothic house in the Calle Pau, which was bought for over 1.5 million euros in 2010, while other organisations include Sa Nostra bank and the Fundació Illes Balears. This latter foundation, formed by the one-time president of the Balearics, Gabriel Cañellas, at the end of 1988, has acquired seven properties. Among them are: the castle of Sant Elm, which dates from the late thirteenth century and which was bought by the foundation in 1995; S'Illot, a finca in Albufera known also as Ses Puntes; Son Pax on the Sóller road out of Palma; the eighteenth-century fort in Cala Llonga. Among the acquisitions made by Sa Nostra is the regional museum in Artà.
There are, therefore, various organisations which devote resources to preserving the heritage of Mallorca and of the Balearics. These are very laudable efforts, but how effective is some of the preservation and how sensible might some of the acquisitions have been? Take Can Weyler, for instance. Its cost was in fact more than double the 1.5 million, as the total was 3.2 million to include restoration work. Two years ago, former occupants of the building, ARCA, the association for the revitalisation of old (town) centres, criticised the lack of restoration. The Council had forgotten Can Weyler. And then there is Sa Nostra, a bank founded in 1882 as a non-profit organisation whose profits go towards social and cultural work. A month ago "El País" was asking why there was such apparent silence regarding the affairs of Sa Nostra since it had become part of BMN, a bank formed by crisis-struck institutions like Sa Nostra. The report said that it was selling off some of its culturally and historically significant properties.
While the "Dijous" editorial in 1984 expressed its concerns, those were early days of autonomous government and of the Council's involvement in guaranteeing the future of Mallorca's heritage. It has unquestionably done a great deal of good in this regard, as have others. But one has to ask in certain instances at what cost and with what regard to ongoing restoration? 3.2 million euros at the height of the economic crisis was an awful lot of preservation commitment.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
A Tale Of Two Houses
The antiquity of houses in the old towns of Mallorca hides any number of stories and reveals any number of secrets. Though some houses fall into a state of virtual ruin, the desire to preserve them is pursued with a passion for patrimony. Heritage and its maintenance has been elevated to a state akin to almost religious obsession. There is nothing at all wrong with such zeal, yet it can border on the homiletic in that a good heritage is preached, while sometimes practice does not match the sermon.
To get an impression of how, for differing reasons, the wish to preserve can fall some way short of what might be hoped, I give you a tale of two houses - Can Domenech in Alcúdia and Can Llobera in Pollensa.
Can Domenech dates back to the late Middle Ages. Much closer to the current day, in the 1950s it was bought by the Bryant Foundation which became the main focus of excavations at the Roman town of Pollentia. Towards the end of the last century the building was closed before being bought for the town in 2003, and most recently, restoration work commenced prior to the house becoming the headquarters of the consortium which now oversees Pollentia.
The restoration work, though, very nearly ground to a halt. In October, it was discovered that there were certain "irregularities" in the agreement drawn up between Alcúdia town hall, the regional government and the Council of Mallorca, each a party to footing the bill for the restoration. Up till the end of October, only one of the parties - the town hall - had actually handed any money over, which amounted to roughly a tenth of the restoration budget.
The problem lay with the fact that neither the former culture minister at the government nor his counterpart at the Council of Mallorca had the authority or competency to have signed off on the agreement. Work has since restarted, the town hall now having to pay more than had been originally planned.
Can Llobera in Pollensa is about as old as Can Domenech. The original building is reckoned to be from the start of the sixteenth century and it was in the possession of the Llobera family, whose most famous member was the poet Miquel Costa i Llobera, author of the "Pi de Formentor". It too was acquired for the town, Pollensa town hall handing over 1.5 million euros for the building in 2005.
And once the town hall bought Can Llobera, nothing happened. So much so that in September it was closed permanently because it was in such a poor state, part of the roof having collapsed.
A budget to allow restoration had been blocked earlier this year by opposition parties at the town hall who said they had insufficient time to study the proposals. Given the urgent need for work, they then abstained, thus allowing the town hall to allocate funds that had been intended for the building of a footbridge in Pollensa.
But funding still remains an issue, and a further issue is that, the building apart, what is actually inside it is in a state as bad as the building. Documents, including books and photos, all part of what the town hall paid for, are so far gone that they are beyond recovery.
The tales of the two houses aren't the same, but they both raise doubts as to abilities to pursue adequately the preservation of historic buildings. Can Domenech has highlighted, and certainly not for the first time, the bureaucratic bungling that can occur as a consequence of the three-headed monster of town hall, Council of Mallorca and government being allowed to get anywhere near a project. It is one that has left Alcúdia having to stretch a budget it doesn't really have.
Can Llobera is a tale of shocking neglect and profligacy. The town hall was prepared to spend 1.5 million euros on something which it appeared to have no interest in, beyond the publicity that it could have basked in at the time, and no plan as to maintenance. Arguably, it couldn't afford the building in 2005. Now, it most certainly wouldn't be able to.
Patrimony comes at a price, as both town halls have discovered. And for every Can Domenech and Can Llobera, how many other buildings are there across the island that need similar attention (or don't receive it) and similar funding? In a previous article (about the Son Real finca near Can Picafort), I concluded by questioning quite how serious different bodies are in preserving heritage. They are serious in putting preservation in motion, but that's the easy part. It's what comes after that they struggle with.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
To get an impression of how, for differing reasons, the wish to preserve can fall some way short of what might be hoped, I give you a tale of two houses - Can Domenech in Alcúdia and Can Llobera in Pollensa.
Can Domenech dates back to the late Middle Ages. Much closer to the current day, in the 1950s it was bought by the Bryant Foundation which became the main focus of excavations at the Roman town of Pollentia. Towards the end of the last century the building was closed before being bought for the town in 2003, and most recently, restoration work commenced prior to the house becoming the headquarters of the consortium which now oversees Pollentia.
The restoration work, though, very nearly ground to a halt. In October, it was discovered that there were certain "irregularities" in the agreement drawn up between Alcúdia town hall, the regional government and the Council of Mallorca, each a party to footing the bill for the restoration. Up till the end of October, only one of the parties - the town hall - had actually handed any money over, which amounted to roughly a tenth of the restoration budget.
The problem lay with the fact that neither the former culture minister at the government nor his counterpart at the Council of Mallorca had the authority or competency to have signed off on the agreement. Work has since restarted, the town hall now having to pay more than had been originally planned.
Can Llobera in Pollensa is about as old as Can Domenech. The original building is reckoned to be from the start of the sixteenth century and it was in the possession of the Llobera family, whose most famous member was the poet Miquel Costa i Llobera, author of the "Pi de Formentor". It too was acquired for the town, Pollensa town hall handing over 1.5 million euros for the building in 2005.
And once the town hall bought Can Llobera, nothing happened. So much so that in September it was closed permanently because it was in such a poor state, part of the roof having collapsed.
A budget to allow restoration had been blocked earlier this year by opposition parties at the town hall who said they had insufficient time to study the proposals. Given the urgent need for work, they then abstained, thus allowing the town hall to allocate funds that had been intended for the building of a footbridge in Pollensa.
But funding still remains an issue, and a further issue is that, the building apart, what is actually inside it is in a state as bad as the building. Documents, including books and photos, all part of what the town hall paid for, are so far gone that they are beyond recovery.
The tales of the two houses aren't the same, but they both raise doubts as to abilities to pursue adequately the preservation of historic buildings. Can Domenech has highlighted, and certainly not for the first time, the bureaucratic bungling that can occur as a consequence of the three-headed monster of town hall, Council of Mallorca and government being allowed to get anywhere near a project. It is one that has left Alcúdia having to stretch a budget it doesn't really have.
Can Llobera is a tale of shocking neglect and profligacy. The town hall was prepared to spend 1.5 million euros on something which it appeared to have no interest in, beyond the publicity that it could have basked in at the time, and no plan as to maintenance. Arguably, it couldn't afford the building in 2005. Now, it most certainly wouldn't be able to.
Patrimony comes at a price, as both town halls have discovered. And for every Can Domenech and Can Llobera, how many other buildings are there across the island that need similar attention (or don't receive it) and similar funding? In a previous article (about the Son Real finca near Can Picafort), I concluded by questioning quite how serious different bodies are in preserving heritage. They are serious in putting preservation in motion, but that's the easy part. It's what comes after that they struggle with.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
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