Palma's Palacio Avenida gets a restaurant with a view – Meliá invests in the city centre

Palma's Palacio Avenida gets a restaurant with a view – Meliá invests in the city centre

€2.6 million, a rooftop restaurant and a pool: How a traditional building is being revitalized

On a cool, rainy January morning you can hear the steady clack of bus tires on wet paving at Plaça d'Espanya and the distant whistle of a tram-like commuter train. Against this backdrop the hotel chain Meliá is planning a visible change: the building that long housed the Cine Avenida is to be renovated for €2.6 million. The project sketch comes from CMV Architects; the responsible old-town commission has given the plan the green light.

What will specifically change for guests and passersby: the restaurant will be moved from basement level -1 to the sixth floor. From there the hotel expects an unobstructed view over Palma's roofscape toward Parc de Ses Estacions and Plaça d'Espanya. Also planned are a redesign of the reception areas, the relocation of some rooms, a new fitness area and a conference room. On the street side, the façade will be renewed after the demolition of a small substation. In a wing that is not listed as a historic monument, the installation of a swimming pool is planned.

For the neighbourhood such a conversion has several practical aspects. First positive outlook: more guests experiencing Palma outside their hotel rooms bring activity to cafés, bakeries and small shops around the square. Second, jobs will be created during the construction phase and in the catering sector, especially in kitchens and at the bar. And third, an upgraded façade can further improve the impression of the plaza; in recent years Palma's centre has already received new paving and a renewed station ensemble, so the street overall looks tidier. See Palma plans redesign around the Gesa building - redevelopment with question marks.

Of course the memory of the Cine Avenida remains part of the local scene. The building hosted a long cinema history in its lower levels until it closed in 2000. Those who pass the corner of Avinguda Alexandre Rosselló and Marqués de Fontsanta often know the mix of travellers, pupils and older people who cross paths here. For similar discussions of cinema reuse projects see From the Metropolitan to the Neighborhood Center: Palma's Plans for Pere Garau Under Scrutiny. A new restaurant with a view can enliven this public space pleasantly, provided operators pay attention to sensible opening hours, fair prices and good accessibility for local residents.

From an urban-planning perspective the decision to move the dining area upwards is a clever use of space: roof terraces offer a high quality of stay without additional ground-level footprint. For Palma this means more attractive meeting points and potential for events with views over the city. A small caveat remains: the building is not protected as a monument, yet it is still worthwhile to preserve historical details during the renovation, whether on the façade or in the reception hall, so that the island's history remains visible.

In the early evening people sitting on the square may in future see silver plates and muted lighting above, while ordinary activity continues on the plaza below. For tourism providers the addition of high-quality gastronomy is another argument to feature the city centre more in their offers. At the same time the measure offers a chance to balance visitors and people who live in Palma: if hotels open their roof areas, residents can occasionally enjoy a meal with a view without having to book a hotel room.

In the coming months the construction plans will be specified, permits formalized and craftsmen will begin work on site. For residents and commuters this means phases of dust and temporary closures, but also the visible result – a well-maintained building, a new restaurant with distant views and a small but noticeable change in the urban mood.

In short: this project feels like a piece of city-centre care. It brings investment, new quality of stay and jobs. If the works take sufficient account of the neighbourhood and old details, Plaça d'Espanya will gain another place where Palma shows itself and people come together — from the morning bakery to a late dinner above the rooftops.