Demolition stopped: Bennazar house in Palma remains standing for now

Demolition halted: Another victory for heritage protection in Palma

Early afternoon, around 3:30 p.m., at Carrer 31 de Desembre an expected but unwelcome spectacle drew eyes: a digger stood half in the driveway, workers in high-visibility vests moved back and forth, and the neighbors held their breath. Then came the news: the planned total destruction of Gaspar Bennazar's house has been halted.

Anyone who walks by here daily knows the house — the simple balustrades, the green shutters, with a patina that no new build can imitate. Investors had already tucked the plans into their pockets: away with the old, in with expensive apartments. But the island council's cultural authority intervened and demanded a precise inventory before further work would be allowed.

Why the stop is important

The building is not only under observation for its appearance, but also because of original joinery elements and historic tiles on the upper floor. Parts of the interiors had already been removed; the facade itself may not be touched for now. The condition is: catalog first, then decide — with environmental and heritage protection constraints.

Such decisions are rarely spectacular, but they change the face of the city in the long term. Gaspar Bennazar, whose building here dates from the early 1930s, has helped shape many street sections in Palma. His later works show echoes of neo-baroque and other historic styles — which makes them hard to replace.

Neighbors, craftsmen and a bit of everyday life

A resident who named her dog Gofi Gofi stood on the sidewalk and said dryly: 'Better this. The city is not a construction site for quick profits.' A young carpenter from the area said there are still original doors in the back yard that cannot simply be replaced. Small details, big meaning.

What follows now: professional cataloging and concrete requirements about which elements must be preserved. If a renovation comes, it will likely be more careful than originally planned. Until then the house remains a city-defining relic — and a reminder that not everything that sounds modern is necessarily better.

As you walk through Palma's Eixample, you see the debate everywhere: between renovation, preservation and profit, the question of how much history we are willing to sacrifice. Today history has won a small victory.