Ibiza, Balearic Islands. The great port-city transformation

An interview with Mr Joan GUAL DE TORRELLA GUASP, Chairman of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands Going for a stroll around Ibiza’s Marina today bears little resemblance to what the residents of this beautiful Mediterranean town, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, experienced less than a decade ago. The port on the largest of the Balearic Islands has seen considerable change over the last 15 years and is in the midst of a unique restyling project. The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands is member of AIVP since 1995. AIVP – What were the main objectives of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) when the transformation and redesign of the Port of Ibiza got underway? Joan GUAL DE TORRELLA GUASP, Chairman - The APB drew on the successful models and excellent work carried out in ports such as Barcelona, Malaga and Alicante in order to open up our own much-loved port to local people whilst strengthening its multifunctional character and bearing in mind its key social and economic role as the gateway for incoming and outgoing passengers and goods. So Ibiza signed up for the port-city model, which is a bit like painting with a brush whose strokes blur the barriers separating the port from the town, turning it into an open, contemporary and well-equipped space, into a new recreational area on the waterfront for a more vibrant Ibiza. The new Port of Ibiza is a wonderful introduction for people coming to the island by sea for the first time and also a source of pride for anyone who has been away from their home for a while. It is the place people long to return to. AIVP – The first stage of this plan began in 2003. Can you summarise the main stages and tell us how the plan has changed the relationship between the Port of Ibiza and the town and its citizens? Joan GUAL DE TORRELLA GUASP, Chairman - 2003-2013, the start of everything… The transformation of the Port of Ibiza needs to be broken up into parts. Its appearance has been gradually changed over many months of designs, blueprints, numerous phases and lots of hard work.The first step was commissioning the Botafoc breakwater in 2003. Following that, the new Botafoc quays were built to handle goods and passengers from ferries and cruise liners. After port traffic operations had been moved from the old Marina area to the new commercial Botafoc quays on 1st July 2013, the APB began restructuring the Port of Ibiza’s waterfront. This includes the public port land running from the fishing quay to "el Muro" or outer breakwater, i.e., the area closest to the town’s historic quarter. This move meant that the town…