This is what the nine-story multi-service center in the former Metropolitan cinemas of Pere Garau will look like.

PalmThe former Metropolitan cinemas from the Palma neighborhood of Pere Garau They will be transformed into a nine-story multi-service center housing a local police station, a daycare center, a library, a primary healthcare unit, and parking spaces. The winning design in the ideas competition was the preliminary architectural project submitted by Joan Fortuny and Martí Sanz, as announced by the mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez, at the press conference following the Governing Board meeting held this Wednesday. The building will combine concrete with wood and features flexible spaces adaptable to the multitude of uses planned for the building. It will have three underground levels, which will be used for parking and storage, and six above ground – including the roof – where the various municipal services will be located.

The plan is to put both the demolition of the existing building and the construction of the new one out to tender next year, with completion in approximately 18 months. The total investment will amount to €14.3 million. In the design competition launched at the end of last year, a total of 14 architectural proposals were submitted and evaluated by a jury composed of representatives from Palma City Council and the Balearic Government, neighborhood associations, professionals and experts in the sector, and a technical committee.

Police Station and Daycare

On the ground floor, the second floor, and part of the third floor will be located the more "static" uses, such as the Local Police station, the primary healthcare unit, the daycare center, the citizen service office, the day center, and a conference room. From the third floor upwards, the building will be more flexible and adaptable to the changing needs of the neighborhood, as it will have multipurpose rooms, open classrooms, and spaces for community organizations. In addition, the senior citizens' center, the community center, and the library will be located there. "The project recognizes that Pere Garau is a dynamic neighborhood and that its main facility must reflect that same dynamism," emphasized the First Councilor of Cort. A stepped façade

The proposal, Martínez explained, envisions the multi-service center as an "open and versatile" space designed to generate activity throughout the day and accommodate diverse users. Based on this idea, the project organizes all the uses through two main atriums: one open to the exterior and directly connecting the building to the neighborhood, and another bioclimatic atrium that will function as a "social and environmental heart," providing natural light, ventilation, and meeting spaces. The connection with the street will be reinforced by the creation of a public porch, which will serve as an extension of the urban space and the starting point for a route to the interior atriums. This shaded and sheltered space will facilitate access to the complex and improve its accessibility. Another element the mayor highlighted in the winning proposal is the stepped design of the building's interior facade, which will allow each space to have its own outdoor terrace and ensure a "visual connection" between the different floors. The preliminary design also stipulates that the rear of the plot will remain undeveloped, becoming an open space that will act as an "inner lung," complementing the neighborhood's green areas. Martínez explained that this space will be "multipurpose, green, and community-oriented," designed to accommodate different uses throughout the day and year. Its primary function will be as an outdoor playground for the daycare center, and when the center is not in use, it can be opened to the neighborhood and become an urban climate refuge. Finally, the mayor emphasized the sustainability, energy efficiency, and environmental comfort criteria incorporated into the proposal, which aims for near-zero energy consumption and includes measures to improve water management and conservation. The building will have a total of 4,655 square meters of above-ground space and 2,631 square meters of below-ground space. In addition, there are 213 square meters designated for the children's playground and 89 square meters for the senior center's playground. "We are reclaiming a space that had been abandoned for years and transforming it for the citizens of Palma and the residents of Pere Garau," Martínez stated.

Ideas Competition

In the competition to select the project, which was launched at the end of last year, a total of 14 architectural proposals were submitted and evaluated by a jury composed of representatives from the Palma City Council and the Government, neighborhood associations, professionals and experts in the sector and a technical committee.