T
he first time I came to Palma, I walked past the GESA building. Like many visitors, I saw this office tower, covered in graffiti, abandoned and looking a bit dated. Even more surprising on this island, where every square metre is worth its weight in gold and where, for a long time, urban planning considerations carried little weight, is that it stands alone. There are no other buildings beside it: a sort of watchtower straight out of the 1960s, perched right on the seafront.Over time, I’ve learnt to really see it and have fallen under the spell of its mirrored façade, the work of architect Josep Ferragut Pou. In the early morning, the building glows, amplifying the timid morning rays — a golden beacon in a city still drowsy with sleep. Its tinted windows lie silent during the day, but as the light fades they come to life, reflecting the surrounding landscape. Poetic images that are constantly changing.
Light has always been of paramount importance in Josep Ferragut’s work. One need only visit the Church of La Porciúncula, which he constructed in 1968, to understand; This Brutalist-inspired building is encircled by a spectacular ring of stained-glass windows. Light is also that magnetic element which has drawn artists to the island for generations. And while we cannot (yet) enter the GESA Tower, films such as the documentary “La vida i la mort d’un arquitecte,” reveal its panoramic views of the cathedral, while photographic features, such as that by Jean-Marie del Moral, offer a glimpse of the striking interplay between the city and the sea in the background.
GESA has always been controversial, misunderstood or protected for the wrong reasons. But this building, arguably the most iconic of modern La Palma, is finally set to be given a new lease of life after years of neglect. The local council, which has purchased the land and the building, has just selected the proposal by the Spanish firm CYO (Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos) to transform it into a cultural and innovation centre. “We favour finding public uses that adapt to the building’s characteristics, rather than altering its height or footprint. We are not seeking to leave our own personal mark, but to rediscover elements that have now been lost,” says architect Antonio Cruz.
