History
History of La Torreta del Llac
1998
Purchase of the first floor
November 14, 1998 was the day it all began. The first floor of this dilapidated house was purchased; that same night, the garage collapsed.
The house had a first floor and two floors, and was surrounded by a decaying environment: the old Hotel del Lago, abandoned after three fires, and the unpaved side street of the Torreta.
As a curiosity, the main access street to the current Torreta had no sidewalk, it was a two-way street and cars parked on the sides.
1999
Ground Floor Rehabilitation Works
Miquel Àngel, an architect by profession, was fascinated by the location of the Torreta and the potential it hid. He decided to undertake a comprehensive rehabilitation from the heart.
False ceilings without insulation, a rear body that had to be rebuilt from scratch, walls and structures that required complete reinforcement. And the garden, which was then made of earth and used as a parking lot, was transformed into a flowering garden that Miquel Àngel takes care of with care.
2001
Aerial photos
By 2001 the ground floor had been renovated, the surrounding streets looked better maintained and the old hotel next door had been renovated and converted into housing.
2002
Purchase and reassembly of upper floors – Phase 1
By 2001 the ground floor had been renovated, the surrounding streets looked better maintained and the old hotel next door had been renovated and converted into housing.
The trees, pinus pinea, known as common pine, which blocked all views of the lake, were cut down.
2002
Remonta de les plantas superiores – Phase 2
The entire building was protected with scaffolding and awnings, and the upper floors were manually demolished down to the first floor.
2002
Purchase and reassembly of upper floors – Phase 3
Once the first and second floors were demolished, the roof of the first floor was reinforced and a new structure of lower height than the current one was erected, creating a third floor at the top of the building: the loft apartment, crowned by a beautiful wooden dome.
2005
Purchase and reassembly of upper floors – Phase 4
Once the facades were painted, the scaffolding was removed and La Torreta del Llac finally appeared with its characteristic red tile color. The landscaping of the entire garden was also carried out, transforming what was once compacted earth into a green and flowery space.
2001
Completion of the upper floors
In the spring of 2005, work on the upper floors was completed, culminating years of effort, dedication, family work and respect for the lake’s environment and its history.
2000
Lake cleanup
The municipality carried out the integral sanitation of the lake. The works consisted of the complete emptying of the pond and deep cleaning of the bed using specialized equipment.
2007
Aerial photos
La Torreta del Llac was finished, the hotel Villa Paulita had been built, the streets renovated and the lake’s surroundings breathed a new air: more cared for and modern, but without losing the charisma and charm that have always defined it.
2017
Nevada
March 2017 gave us a big snowfall like we hadn’t seen for years. The snow covered everything: the roofs, the garden, the lake and the paths. From La Torreta, contemplating that white and silent landscape is one of those privileges that are never taken for granted.
2018
Field hockey and figure skating match at the lake
The winter of 2018 was particularly frigid, allowing Puigcerdà’s lake to freeze over like it hadn’t in decades. The ice reached a thickness of 20 cm, enough to host an informal field hockey game and figure skating sessions.
In this video you can see how several local fans took the opportunity to play a game on the frozen surface of the lake.
2018
Nevada
That same winter brought us another great snowfall that all the neighbors remember. La Cerdanya was once again dressed in white and La Torreta, once again, offered its guests that fairytale landscape that only the Pyrenees can give.
2020
Lake cleanup
In 2020, the city council again carried out the maintenance and cleaning of the lake. Once again, we were able to see up close how this space, which is so much a part of our history and the life of the Torreta, was cared for.
