Restoration and integration of the GESA building into the landscape

The proposal reimagines Palma's waterfront through a renewed relationship between the city, the landscape and the sea. Rather than treating the coastline as a physical boundary, the project reconceives it as a transitional space capable of integrating architecture, public realm and ecological infrastructure into a continuous system linking the historic centre, the Levante District and the Bay of Palma.

The intervention is based on an understanding of the waterfront as a layered landscape where geology, history and urban development have shaped the relationship between the city and the sea over time. Building on this condition, the proposal replaces the conventional notion of the edge with that of a permeable threshold, strengthening territorial continuity, restoring both visual and physical connections with the sea, and creating new spaces for public life. In this way, the landscape is no longer understood as the outcome of the intervention but as the organising structure of the entire project.

The park becomes the project's main structuring element. Conceived as both civic and ecological infrastructure, it connects the different urban districts, integrates the new public facilities and organises a continuous network of pedestrian and cycling routes that promotes sustainable mobility and improves access to the waterfront. Mediterranean vegetation, ecological corridors, sustainable drainage systems and permeable surfaces transform the public realm into an active climate adaptation infrastructure, enhancing urban comfort while fostering biodiversity.

The proposal repositions the GESA building as a strategic component of Palma's new waterfront. The intervention recognises its significance as an icon of modern architecture, preserving its heritage values while integrating it into a renewed system of public spaces and civic facilities. The opening of the ground floor, the permeability of its circulation spaces and the activation of its rooftop terraces reinforce its relationship with the park and strengthen its role as a key connection between the city and the sea. Rather than treating GESA as an isolated heritage building, the project incorporates it into a civic infrastructure where architecture, landscape and public space operate as a unified system.

The programme follows the same principle of continuity. Cultural, administrative and innovation facilities are distributed to encourage complementary uses and ensure the permanent activation of the site, while the park provides the common framework for urban life and establishes relationships between the different buildings. The project thus proposes a new model for Palma's waterfront, where heritage, culture, landscape and public space are integrated into a single territorial structure.

Environmental performance underpins the proposal as a whole. Locally sourced materials, low-embodied-carbon construction systems and passive environmental design strategies are combined with nature-based solutions that regulate the microclimate, promote rainwater infiltration and mitigate the urban heat island effect. From this perspective, the transformation of the waterfront extends beyond an urban intervention to propose a new relationship between the city, landscape and climate, capable of addressing the environmental challenges facing contemporary Mediterranean cities.