Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1293556
10 TOWNSCAPES ĊENTRU Santu Rokku is a Church property (St Paul Shipwreck Collegiate Parish) located at 196, St Ursula Street, Valletta. Apart from holding and serv- ing the social needs of the Valletta com- munity, the property also holds great historical worth. In the 18th century, it was owned by one of the foundations of the 'Soladi- ta dei Preti', 'Naves'. In the 1950s the property had passed to the Order of the Knights of St John, from where they op- erated the service of a Blood Bank while also serving as their headquarters. Once the Blood Bank was moved to another location, the Order also trans- ferred its headquarters to a new venue in the proximity of Our Lady of the Vic- tories church. In the 1990s, the parish initiated its pastoral work from this premises to serve the community of the area and its surroundings. e property is currently being used as a youth centre, known as Teen Klabb. Teen Klabb was launched by Tabgħa Foundation. Its main aim has been that of creating a safe social space and pro- viding academic help to teens in Valletta and the surrounding region. Here vol- unteers assist youth with their home- work and schoolwork, while empower- ing them with social and life skills. Additional activities for the teens are also held, like movie evenings, outings, crafts, cooking and live-ins. e volun- teers also try and impart useful life skills and spiritual values. At Teen Klabb, teens are given the op- portunity to interact with other teens, while being monitored by helpers such as teachers, counsellors, and social youth workers. e main objective is to give the youth of the area a sense of empowerment and provide preventive care. Keeping tradition alive e property, which possibly be- longed at first to a wealthy family, was built according to the traditional style of the time, having a large open court- yard. A generously proportioned stair- case in the yard leads to the upper lev- els, including the sala nobile, whilst a stone spiral staircase connects the back rooms on all floors and was most likely intended for use by the servants of the household. It contains various alterations carried out in more recent times, including the division of the property into a number of tenements and the replacement of a wrought-iron balcony with that of tim- ber. e façade holds certain simple archi- tectural elements, namely the mould- ings around the doors and windows, the wrought iron railing of the open balco- ny and the balcony corbels. One also finds a bust and a coat of arms mounted on top of the main entrance. e book and the sword depicted on the coat of arms are the common attrib- utes of Saint Paul. A wordy inscription below the bust reads 'FUNDATIO NIS. NAVES. 1749.' The project Intense restoration works, due to the bad condition of the property's façade have been concluded. Internally, reno- vation works have been carried out on the courtyard, masonry staircase, cellar, Sala Nobile and the cleaning of the walls and ceilings. e project, which is in its final phase, consists of the installation of mechan- ical and electrical services, installation of bathrooms and the laying of tiles and gypsum. At roof level, more restoration works are being carried out and a small exten- sion together with the installation of a lift structure. A number of steel bridges are also being installed. e Planning Authority and the St Paul Shipwreck Collegiate Parish had signed an agreement for the PA to fully finance, up to €347,000, the restoration PA funds restoration of Centru 1.10.2020 e Ċentru Santu Rokku, in Vallea, boasts great historical significance and offers an important safe space to socialize for the city's young people. Now, the building's full restoration is nearing completion, thanks to the Planning Authority fully funding the project through its Development Planning Fund