Mallorca's Fantasio cinema to become 11 rental flats

Mallorca’s old Fantasio cinema in Sóller is set to become 11 public rental flats: work begins on Thursday to prepare the deteriorating building. The Balearic Housing Institute says the first phase will stabilise and shore up the building, with some parts demolished before restoration can begin.

11 flats on the upper floors

The one-bedroom flats will occupy the three upper floors. One will be adapted for people with disabilities. Preference will go to people under 35 who have lived in Sóller for 18 years.

Sóller Town Council has handed the building at 3 Carrer de Sant Jaume to the housing institute for the project, which has a budget of €2.8 million.

The cinema’s past stays on show

The council will run an exhibition space on the ground floor devoted to the cinema’s history. The main facade and Fantasio signs will be restored, while the ticket booth, projection room and two staircases will be kept. Forty wooden seats from the old auditorium will return in a stepped seating area in the inner courtyard.

Built in 1935 to a design by Guillem Forteza, the cinema was remodelled and extended in 1953. It closed in 1981 and has belonged to the council since 2003. The work will give the building a new use without erasing its past.

Topics: Housing · Culture · Sóller · Palma

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com