A former Republican school and a stately home with 120 years of history, the Son Sunyeret building was one of the earliest physical reminders of the growth of Palma’s Eixample district in the early 20th century. After years of campaigning to have it listed as a heritage site to prevent its demolition, the building has now been converted into a residential development through a meticulous renovation process that rebuilt most of the property almost from scratch, while preserving the original façade.
The building, located on Bisbe Massanet Street (next to Ses Estacions Park), was designed in 1905 by master builder Gaspar Reynés i Coll (1845–1911), a leading figure in the urban and architectural development of Palma. Among other iconic works in the Balearic capital, he designed the legendary Hostal Cuba in the Santa Catalina neighborhood. He also designed and built a large number of homes in that same neighborhood, in Son Espanyolet, and in other areas of the historic center, as well as infrastructure and facilities for industrial, livestock, and religious use.
The Association for the Revitalization of Historic Districts (ARCA) had been fighting since 2019 to protect the building, citing the name Reynés y Coll as one of its main arguments. In the opinion of ARCA’s experts, Son Sunyeret represented a valuable part of the city’s history that had to be preserved at all costs. The City Council suspended the demolition to study the property’s heritage value, which was ultimately confirmed.
The renovation project has spanned the last two years, and the building now houses a dozen occupied apartments. The construction firm Llull Sastre and the architectural firm Palomino Arquitectos have been the architects of a transformation that bridges Ciutat’s past and present.
“The fact that we had to preserve the façade imposed significant constraints on us, but it also forced us to think differently,” explains Rafa Llull, head of the development department at the construction company. “Over time, we realized that this limitation would end up being the project’s greatest strength and what would make it truly unique.”
Llull describes how a meticulous process has unfolded, one that has required advanced craftsmanship. “Projects like this cannot be tackled with standard solutions; they demand specialization and extensive on-site experience. It wasn’t about disguising the building, but about respecting its identity.” In that regard, he explains that they worked to preserve the elements that gave the complex a greater sense of history, while introducing “a modern aesthetic to the interior spaces, layouts, and comfort.” The goal, Llull notes, “was for the old and the new to coexist naturally.”
Alejandro Palomino, of Palomino Arquitectos, echoes this sentiment by emphasizing the building’s unique character. “We wanted to bridge the gap between the city of 1905 and the city of today.” Thus, the project was carried out with a strong focus on traditional Mallorcan architectural styles. Additional floors were also added to make the project more profitable. “Technologically and structurally, it was a major challenge: we had to excavate two basements because today’s parking needs are very different from those of five years ago. And we had to do it with a facade that couldn’t collapse and with adjacent neighbors who don’t have basements.”
