The Palau de Maricel enters into 2018 with the first heritage refurbishment
The Palau de Maricel started this week the first action to reform the building, one of the different works that will be carried out throughout 2018, the year in which its centenary is commemorated. This is an exceptional action - complementary to the extensive structural reform financed by the City Council of Sitges and the Diputació de Barcelona - consisting in the refurbishment of the railings on the terrace. The first works will lasts two months.
The purpose of the work is to refurbish the rails on the terraces that border the Fonollar Street, as there are some parts that are in a state of degradation that increases progressively. The action has been separated from the whole of the structural reform project with the intention of not taking risks in case of any possible collapse. The situation of Palau Maricel, as a result of its location facing the sea, makes us to generate continuing patrimonial refurbishment activities, due to the erosion suffered by the weather effects and the marine impact. On the occasion of the work, the section of the affected façade will also be painted on Fonollar Street.
The work stopped any activity at the Palau during the next few weeks. This means stoping the guided tours of Sundays during the months of January and February, in order to resume them in March. While the works are on course, there will be no presentations or other activities at the Palau. The last was yesterday, the children's workshop to prepare the Letter to the Kings, which brought together thirty children in the Blue Room. During the year 2017, the Palau Maricel registered nearly 6,000 visits. Since the year 2013, the Palau Maricel entered the circuit of permanent guided tours of the Sitges Heritage Consortium and became one of the main cultural attractions of the city for visitors and tourists.
The exceptional action that started this week precedes the project Integral reform, refurbishment, restoration and museisation of Palau de Maricel (1913-17) to adapt it as a center for activities and temporary exhibitions of Museums de Sitges, prepared by the Heritage Consortium of Sitges, with the support of the City Council and that will begin this 2018. The project details an investment in the building to make it fully operational for its cultural mission, which consists in the repair of structural problems; the restoration of the heritage elements; the rehabilitation of the facade and the covers; the redefinition of entries and circulations; the suppression of architectural barriers through the installation of mechanical elevators; and the museographic adequacy of the building for the visit, so that it allows the organization of medium format exhibitions. The City Council of Sitges and the Diputació de Barcelona will allocate more than 3 million euros to this reform.