Conversion of the Sa Raval Vella des Castell quarries

The project

The quarries of Sa Raval Vella are owned by the Town Hall of Es Castell. These quarries were used for the extraction of sandstone, the main element used in traditional construction of houses in Menorca since the 18th century.

They form a set of two underground quarries, connected by a passageway, housing certain municipal units, such as rehearsal rooms for musical or youth groups since the end of the 20th century. They are currently in disuse.

The proposal of this project therefore focuses on adapting the quarries to facilitate the housing of a museum of ethnological elements related to shipping along the coastline of Menorca as well as the creation of a cultural centre for the conservation and exhibition of traditional boats that form part of Menorca’s maritime heritage.

18 traditional boats, ranging from 3 and 7.3 meters long, will be exhibited, accompanied by informative panels, graphic images and audiovisual media. The facilities will be respectful of the quarry walls in order not to cause them any further damage.

The centre will explain two essential elements of the Island of Menorca’s intangible or non-material heritage through the promotion of the material heritage as a whole, such as the link between the population and the sandstone construction (the quarries) and the population’s relationship with the sea (the boats and tools related to fishing and recreation).