Mosaic premieres a documentary about the architect Gaspar Bennazar, one of the most important characters in our city. The imprint of s’Arquitecte is indisputable in today’s Palma and his person still generates mixed feelings
WHY BENNAZAR?
Bennazar, s’Arquitecte de Palma” is a biopic about the Mallorcan architect and urban planner Gaspar Bennazar, (Palma, 1869 – Barcelona, 1933) a man as unknown as he was exceptional whose life and work fascinated us. We learned that others had tried to make a documentary but for different circumstances it had not been possible. We knew little about this architect before we began our research. We find a very brief biography written by his granddaughter, the studies of Miquel Seguí and some articles published on the Internet. In short, very little considering the relevance and extent of his work. We submitted a project and script to the latest documentary grant from Palma City Council and we were lucky enough to be the only ones selected. IB3, the regional television of the Balearic Islands, has also participated in the production.
A CONTROVERSIAL ARCHITECT SILENCED?
Talking to each other, we understood that it was no coincidence that there was so much silence, since the figure of Bennazar still gives rise to complex visceralities, a legacy of the power disputes that affected a large part of the prominent people in society. Bennazar was no exception, and his power of influence earned him not a few antipathies that, in some cases, endure. His case is unprecedented in the architectural panorama of the time, as he was the leading author of modern Palma, with an enormous volume of works: 700 incursions between designed work and renovations, according to his granddaughter. S’Arquitecte, as he was known in Palma, also accumulated all possible positions: Diocesan Architect, Heritage Architect, Municipal Architect of Palma, among others, a circumstance that today would be unthinkable because it is incompatible.
Paradoxically, there is no in-depth study of his work. Why has he been such a hidden figure? Are they envy towards their monopoly of work or more personal grudges? The truth is that, among the dozens of interviews carried out, there is recurrent talk of the controversy around the advantages and privileges he enjoyed during his thirty-year career, while everyone agrees on his extraordinary capacity for work.
AN IMMENSE
WORKHis work transfigured the Palma of the beginning of the century with such significant works as the Plaza de Toros, the Municipal Slaughterhouse of Palma (S’Escorxador) or the El Águila building. In addition, Bennazar directed one of the most remarkable metamorphoses of the city: the demolition of the medieval walls of Palma, where the Avenues run today. The documentary, of which we offer an excerpt, will take us into the ins and outs of his life and the particularities of his work through renowned voices from the world of history, art, architecture, or culture, as well as his granddaughter, Maribel Bennazar, who provided us with numerous clues about her grandfather and whom we take the opportunity to thank for his generous help.
https://vimeo.com/86902555