The project will revamp geologist Yves Rangheard’s collection of fossils and rocks at Ibiza’s former military command building, adding models, educational games, audiovisual displays and hands-on activities.
How did Ibiza and Formentera form? Why were the two islands once connected? And what secrets lie hidden in the rocks and fossils of the Pityusic Islands? These are some of the questions the planned Pityusic Islands Geology Centre aims to answer, combining science, history and interactive activities to bring the islands’ geological heritage to life for residents and visitors.
The Ibiza Island Council (Consell d’Eivissa) has approved the tender for the museum exhibition project, with a budget of €298,021. The aim is to transform the existing exhibition at Ibiza’s former military command building into a more modern, educational and interactive interpretation centre.
The contract covers the design, manufacture and installation of exhibition furniture, display cases, models, replicas, educational games, information panels and audiovisual equipment.
The new centre will occupy the entrance hall on level -1 of the former command building, located at 1 Carrer del Calvari in Ibiza Town. The building currently houses facilities belonging to the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) and the Island Council’s Image and Sound Archive.
The works are scheduled to take five months from the formal signing of the contract.
From fossils to interactive games
One of the main new features will be a range of hands-on exhibits designed to help visitors learn through experimentation. The exhibition plans include interactive models demonstrating how geological faults and beaches form, replicas of the Pityusic Islands’ terrain, and puzzles that allow visitors to reconstruct different geological structures.
A key feature will be a model of Gran Pitiüsa, the landmass that once connected Ibiza and Formentera during the last Ice Age, when Mediterranean sea levels were considerably lower than they are today.
Visitors will also be able to use a microscope to examine geological samples, explore the different stages of fossil formation through a hands-on assembly game, and solve puzzles based on the islands’ landscape.
The plans even include a Snakes and Ladders-style board game inspired by the biodiversity of Ibiza and Formentera, designed to engage schoolchildren and families in educational activities.
The exhibition will also feature display cases for fossils and rocks, alongside screens showing videos about the evolution of the Earth, the formation of the continents and the emergence of the Pityusic Islands.
A scientific collection donated in 2011
The new centre will build on the collection of French geologist Yves Rangheard, which was donated to the Island Council in 2011.
During his research in Ibiza and Formentera between 1961 and 1966, Rangheard assembled an extensive body of scientific material, including fossils, rocks, around 2,000 rock thin sections, photographs, geological maps and specialist publications.
Some of this material has been on display at the former military command building for more than a decade. However, the Island Council considers the exhibition in need of an update to improve the presentation of the collection and help visitors better understand its scientific significance.
The centre’s content will be available in Catalan, Spanish and English. The tender specifications explicitly prohibit the use of automatic translators or tools such as ChatGPT to carry out the translation work.
€298,021 investment backed by sustainable tourism funding
The approved budget will be split across two financial years, with €119,208.67 allocated to 2026 and €178,812.99 to 2027.
The project will receive funding from the Balearic Government’s Sustainable Tourism Promotion Fund, as part of a wider plan to recover and rehabilitate public heritage sites.
Companies interested in bidding for the contract have until 13 November to submit their proposals.