Mirador Josep A. Grimalt Gomila
The project consists of designing a viewpoint on the plot located at 5 Far Street, Portocolom, donated by Mr Josep A. Grimalt Gomila in the town of Felanitx.
The intention of the renowned professor Grimalt was for the plot to become a public space and a place for the whole community to contemplate and enjoy the surrounding landscape.
The plot, with an area of 1,240 m², is located in the area of Portocolom known as Sa Punta. In this area, the landscape coexists with residential development, alongside an area classified as an Area of Special Natural Interest and another classified as urban land.
The project interprets the site as a whole, understanding it as part of the wider Sa Punta area. This makes it necessary to understand the site globally, rather than simply as an isolated point within the urban fabric. The intervention is therefore conceived through its relationship with the surrounding environment and with the pedestrian route that runs along Far Road, from Riuetó to the access to the beaches of Arenal Gran and Arenal Petit.
In the initial state of the plot, there was no usable pavement, while dense native vegetation acted as both a physical and visual barrier to the interior of the site. The access is proposed at a point where there is already a passage through the existing vegetation, thus avoiding the removal of trees and preserving as much of the existing vegetation as possible.
The site slopes towards the coast, with an approximately 4-metre longitudinal difference in level. Within the plot there is native vegetation, including mastic shrubs, wild olive trees, rockroses and other shrub species, as well as unplanted paths that bear witness to the different routes followed over time by people wishing to contemplate the sea and the landscape. The project uses these existing traces to define the route from the street to the viewpoint, ensuring that the impact on the existing vegetation is kept to a minimum.
Both the route and the viewpoint are slightly elevated, creating a boundary between the observer and the landscape. In this way, a visual rather than physical relationship is established, allowing the vegetation to continue growing while ensuring its preservation.
Within the viewpoint area, located inside the plot boundary defined by the DPTM line, two distinct areas are identified: a compacted-earth landing area, perpendicular to the access path, and a cantilevered area incorporating a slight change in direction that guides the visitor towards the broad panorama of Portocolom Bay.
Between these two areas, a change in level allows the protective railing to be lowered, creating an increasingly open horizon as one approaches the viewpoint. At the same time, this configuration allows the landscape to be contemplated from the seats installed within the flat area of the viewpoint.
The cantilevered section of the viewpoint is constructed using corrugated steel bars, providing greater permeability and allowing the structure to integrate into its surroundings. The ochre colour of the oxidised steel relates to the tones of the existing vegetation and to the limestone that can be glimpsed between the steel bars.
The project is realised using local techniques and materials, with retaining structures formed by traditional dry-stone walls and paving made from stabilised earth. The use of these dry-stone walls allows the route to become an integral part of the landscape and of the everyday character of the area.
