A district where design and lifestyle will be the main focus. This is what the Mallorca Design District (MADD) aims to achieve; this private initiative, supported by the Calvià town council, is aimed at showcasing the firms headquartered at the Son Bugadelles industrial park, with the goal of positioning it as the go-to area in Majorca, and even within the Mediterranean region, for this sort of concept.
See how the presentation at The Circle went
This last 18th of November, Grupo Ferrá attended the MADD presentation at The Circle as an affiliated company. The event was attended by the MADD president, Mariana Muñoz and Calvià’s mayor, Alfonso Rodríguez Badal, who was accompanied by the members of his local government team: Marc López, deputy mayor for Urban Planning, Commerce and Activities; the Commerce and Activities councillor, Francisca Muñoz, and the councillor responsible for the Galatzó area, Marcos Pecos.
An initiative that “will allow us to further showcase our industrial park”
The mayor welcomed this initiative that will provide a double stimulus for the municipality. “On the one hand, it will provide a stimulus to a commercial sector that is essentially made up of small businesses that work throughout the year and that, therefore, can help us diversify our economic structure”, he argued.
“On the other hand, this will allow us to further showcase our industrial park, reinvigorating it and turning it into a pole of attraction for design and lifestyle companies and, therefore, encouraging further economic activity and creating jobs within our municipality”, he added.
Rodríguez Badal expressed his support for the project, also announcing the commitment to implement an investment plan over the following years aimed at urban improvement within the industrial park.
The MADD president explained that the initiative was born out of a desire to showcase the businesses headquartered at the Son Bugadelles industrial park, positioning the area and turning it into a reference point in Majorca and the Mediterranean area, following the example of other reference points, such as Distrito 22@ in Barcelona or the Miami Design District.
How the Mallorca Design District was created
MADD has grown organically, due to the spontaneous concentration of firms connected with the living, lifestyle and nautical sectors, as a consequence of the excellent location of the Son Bugadelles Industrial Park, in the exclusive Calvià area and 15 minutes away from Palma.
After realising that businesses had created associations in other countries around the world, the firms headquartered in the area joined forces to develop a stronger common identity, following the example of other successful projects, such as the 22@ in Barcelona or the Miami Design District.
The interest shown by foreign investors regarding new housing developments on the island has experienced a steady growth in the last few years, both for renovations and newbuilds, in particular after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, which has encouraged remote working and shown high-net worth Europeans that they can manage their businesses from the island.
Majorca has become a reference point and the leading companies in the industry have praised its growth, seeking to reinforce their position in the island.
Projects for Son Bugadelles in connection with the Mallorca Design District
Son Bugadelles is set to become an attractive shopping area, where visitors will be able to visit the showrooms of the sector’s leading firms, which are all located within a short distance from each other, finishing their outing at a café. Plans include holding events in the future to promote the district's art, design and creativity.
Quoting Muñoz, “with this close public-private collaboration, Calviá will get the chance to be at the forefront of design and lifestyle in the Balearic Islands on the short term, and later at a European level, thus diversifying the municipality’s economy and not just focusing on tourism.”
Companies that have joined the Mallorca Design District currently
The current members of MADD include renowned firms based on the island, such as Terraza Balear, Durán, Alibaz, Mallorca Site, Knox, Grupo Ferrá, Edificam, Instyle Living, CSV, Eccowin, Almacenes Ferragut, Engel & Völkers, Maxim Confort, Digital Cinema, Wine & More, Grupo Trato, Domus Vivendi, Senso, Yes we bike, Gallery Red and Lionsgate Capital.
At Grupo Ferrá, we are very glad to take part in initiatives that, such as the Mallorca Design District, have been designed to improve and promote the island as a reference point for the lifestyle sector.
For more information on MADD, click here.