Sóller: Fàbrica Nova to be comprehensively restored – Island Council takes over and invests millions

Old factory, new plans: Sóller's Fàbrica Nova to breathe again

If you walk along the Carrer de Sa Lluna in Sóller, you can already see the large brick building from afar – plain, wind‑worn and half forgotten for years. Now there is movement: the Island Council has bought the property and intends to carry out an extensive restoration. For residents and those interested in culture this is good news, although the coming years will mean a construction site.

What is planned: According to officials, the Island Council is taking over the building and is providing a seven‑figure sum so that the dilapidated industrial complex can become a place of remembrance. The idea: a textile museum displaying machines, workplaces and the stories of the workers. The plans include, alongside building renovation, the restoration of historic looms and tools.

The calculation is clear: the purchase was only the beginning. In addition to the acquisition, millions are budgeted for structural renewal – facades, roof, static repairs, as well as energy upgrades so the building will be usable and safe in the future. Conservation experts will be closely involved because the building has been protected for several years and many original details must be preserved.

I spoke yesterday with a woman who works at the market; she can still remember how, early in the morning, workers came to the factory from all directions. For many families in Sóller the plant once meant daily life and income. It seems those responsible want to make exactly these stories visible: not only machines, but people, shifts and the smell of oils and yarn.

Of course there are critical voices as well. Some ask whether the money would be better spent on schools or on renovating apartments. Others hope the project will create jobs and expand tourism with a genuine cultural offer instead of focusing only on beach and party. Quiet discussions took place in the town hall canteen yesterday — as happens in small towns.

The construction site will not disappear overnight: it will take years before exhibitions are set up and tours begin. Yet the will is clearly noticeable. The Island Council does not only want to consolidate the building but to create a place where the history of technology and local identity come together.

For Sóller this means: less decaying heritage, more publicly accessible culture. And for visitors a new destination off the usual beaten track. I will certainly come back when the first loom hums and children stand in awe before the old machines. Until then: hard hat on, dust mask ready — and a little patience.