A few hours after the Ibiza Town Hall put out to tender the works to rehabilitate and reform sa Peixateria, the old fish market, the PSOE denounced in a statement that it is a project that violates the Special Plan of Protection and Interior Reform (PEPRI). Their argument: that it is a historic building, comparable to the Hotel Montesol or the Pereira Theater, and therefore its architecture and original use must be respected. However, a technical report of the Regidoria de Patrimonio to which La Voz de Ibiza has been able to access refutes this theory.
The letter in question is a response to the criticism of the Association of Neighbors of the Marina-Poble Nou, presented by its president, Nadia Bourbia. . La asociación se amparaba en el artículo 109.1 del PEPRI que, decían, le da a sa Peixatería un grado de conservación 1.1, es decir, un grado destinado a edificios “que tienen carácter singular y un importante valor arquitectónico”.
The Heritage report, however, explains that although sa Peixateria has a unique typology (specifically, its octagonal floor plan), this is not enough to fall within this degree of protection. Along the same lines, it highlights that “another PEPRI document (…) the Specific Action nº 16-17 specifically states that the fish market ‘is underutilized, due to the constant degradation and tertiarization of the neighborhoods of sa Penya and la Marina’…”,
Incorrect comparisons
Compared to the Hotel Montesol or the Pereira Theater, emphasizes the report, “the reality of sa Peixateria is very different, since it is a building completely renovated in the 80s and, therefore, of its historical character only remains its octagonal shape and location”. In addition, it says that “regarding its use, at the time the PEPRI was drafted (1991-1992) the market was already underutilized (4 stalls out of 39 available) and before it was finally approved, it would have been completely closed”. For Heritage, “the transformation of sa Peixateria has produced the disappearance of any element of the original building”. “In 1875, the fish market was already in use. However, there are several documentary witnesses about deficiencies in the building, so that it is necessary to reform completely, and its current configuration is the product of the works carried out in the early eighties of the twentieth century,” adds the report. The Regidoria de Patrimonio considers that the building in question is equivalent to level C of the PGOU approved in July 2023, a category that is not equivalent to grade 1.1 of PEPRI. Thus, it is “allowed to preserve its octagonal plant providing an environmental value in the area in which it is located. And with this figure fit the works planned in the UE 16-17 of the PEPRI, where it is even planned to project a new building that can meet current and future needs”.
Seeking to maintain identity
In July, when the preliminary project for the reform of sa Peixateria was approved, the Technical Committee had indicated that the adjoining constructions will have to reduce the heights to a minimum, so as not to affect the original shape of the building. “The preliminary project explains the type of materials to be used, such as wood, iron, cut steel and also fixes the construction of the roof, which will be entirely made of wood. In addition, it has been agreed to eliminate all the central columns to make the most of the space of the hall of the Sa Peixateria building”, explained at the time the councilor for Urban Planning, Activities, Historical Heritage and Housing of the City Council of Ibiza, Juan Flores. In addition, the project report highlights: “We are looking for a functional and purist design that maintains the identity of sa Peixateria while adapting to the needs of the cultural and social environment of the city”. The initiative has a total budget of 2,026,358.41 euros, financed through the Capitalidad funds.
