The APB selects the five teams that will design the future Port of Palma

The APB selects the firms that will prepare the preliminary designs for the Port-City Integration Master Plan, a strategic initiative that will define the future of the port and its relationship with the city.

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has selected the five multidisciplinary teams that will prepare the preliminary designs for the Port-City Integration Master Plan for the Port of Palma, thus completing a new phase of the international competition that will shape the transformation of the main port of the Balearic Islands over the coming decades.

The selected teams are UTE Typsa Zha BBARQ, UTE Arup Bir Junquera, UTE Sener West 8 Project L35 Etipsa, IDOM, and UTE Bau Mangado-Goc Proyeco.

The five shortlisted proposals bring together internationally renowned companies in the fields of architecture, engineering, urban planning and landscape design, responsible for some of the most emblematic urban and port transformation projects developed in recent years. Their portfolios include projects in cities such as Rome, New York, Amsterdam, Liverpool, Dubai, Beijing, Tallinn, Copenhagen, and Barcelona, as well as numerous international awards, including the World Architecture Festival Awards, MIPIM Awards, Aga Khan Awards, ASLA Awards, and World Building of the Year.

The selection was carried out following a competitive process that generated significant interest within the sector. Thirteen candidates expressed interest in the project, bringing together 41 companies from Spain, the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United States, with more than 250 specialised professionals involved. After assessing their technical, economic, and financial capabilities, the APB selected the five teams that achieved the highest scores to continue in the competition.

The selected teams will now have four months to prepare a technical and economic preliminary design defining the future transformation of the Port of Palma. The proposals must provide a comprehensive vision for the port area, addressing challenges related to mobility, sustainability, urban integration, landscape quality, and the coexistence of port activity with new spaces for citizens.

The aim is to have the five preliminary designs ready by November, at which point they will be assessed by an independent panel of experts before the winning proposal is selected.

This body will include representatives from the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands, Palma City Council, the Government of the Balearic Islands, the Mallorca Island Council, Puertos del Estado, the Official College of Architects of the Balearic Islands, the College of Civil Engineers, Canals and Ports, and an international expert from the International Association of Ports and Cities (AIVP), ensuring a rigorous, objective evaluation based exclusively on technical criteria.

The winning proposal will be announced before the end of the year and will serve as the basis for drafting the final Master Plan, which will establish the roadmap for the comprehensive transformation of the Port of Palma.

The Master Plan is the main initiative promoted by the APB to redefine the relationship between the port and Palma. The document will establish guidelines for the reorganisation of nearly 400,000 square metres of port land, with the aim of strengthening logistics competitiveness and the nautical industry, while also creating new spaces dedicated to culture, education, sport, innovation, heritage, and leisure.

As the result of an extensive participatory process involving more than sixty economic, social, and institutional stakeholders, this project aims to consolidate a more efficient, sustainable, and city-integrated port model, transforming Palma’s waterfront into a landmark space for citizens and for the economic development of the Balearic Islands.