Five multidisciplinary teams, including names like Zaha Hadid Architects, Junquera Arquitectos and L35, will compete for the design of the new Port of Palma, a €240 million project that will be executed between 2027 and 2036.
The new Port of Palma already has candidates for its transformation. The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands has selected five top international architecture and engineering teams to present their design proposals. The project, budgeted at €240 million, will start in 2027 and extend until 2036.
The president of the Port Authority, Javier Sanz, has confirmed that the finalists were chosen after a competitive process that saw thirteen applications from 41 companies in Spain, the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United States, involving over 250 professionals. The teams will submit their proposals in November, and the winner will be announced in December.
Zaha Hadid's team returns to the Balearic scene
One of the standout teams is the UTE Typsa ZHA BBARQ, which includes the prestigious Zaha Hadid Architects, the firm of the Iraqi architect who passed away in 2016. Zaha Hadid was the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize, in 2004. The team also includes the consulting firm Typsa and the local studio Barceló Balanzó Arquitectura, known for projects such as the renovation of Palma's Plaza Major and the new pools at s'Aigo Dolça.
The presence of Zaha Hadid Architects represents a qualitative leap for the competition. Although the architect is no longer with us, her studio maintains a line of iconic design that could leave a mark on Palma's waterfront.
Junquera and Batlle i Roig, with port experience
The second selected team is the UTE Arup Batlle i Roig Junquera. It consists of the international engineering firm Ove Arup, with over a century of history, and the architectural firms Batlle i Roig, specialised in landscaping, and Junquera Arquitectos, winner of the National Architecture Award in 1989, 1997, and 2006. Junquera is already familiar with the Palma port: they were part of the UTE that renovated the Molinar port.
This prior experience in the city could be an advantage. Additionally, Batlle i Roig brings a vision of urban integration that seeks to connect the port with the city's fabric.
L35 and West 8, with an international stamp
The third team is the UTE Sener West 8 Project L35 Eptisa. It includes the firm L35, with offices in ten countries and projects such as Rome's Termini station, Barcelona's Maremagnum, and La Paz's Simón Bolívar Stadium. Also participating is West 8, an urban design and landscape studio founded in 1978 by Adriaan Geuze, based in Rotterdam. The team is completed by the engineering firms Eptisa and Sener Mobility.
The blend of signature architecture and sustainable mobility solutions could be key in a port that aims to be an environmental benchmark. The residents of Palma will see how the Moll de la Riba and surrounding areas transform into a more open and green space.
The other two finalist teams include the UTE Idom and the UTE Patxi Mangado, although the Port Authority has not yet detailed their full members. All of them will have to present their master plans in November, and the winner will be announced in December.
The project for the new Port of Palma not only affects the infrastructure but also the daily life of the people of Palma. The works, which will last almost a decade, will modify access to the sea, walking areas, and commercial activity. Citizens will be able to follow the process through public exhibitions that the Port Authority plans to organise.
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