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12 COMMERCIAL 3.3.2022 Prestigious MASP Awards reveal Malta's top architectural and interior design projects for 2021 Perit Konrad Buhagiar receives the President's award THE Valletta Design Cluster, the Sterling HQ, the Imperial Residential Home and the Portomaso Laguna are some of the projects that took the top spots at the 2021 Malta Ar- chitecture and Spatial Planning (MASP) Awards held last Saturday night. e MASP Awards, which are held under the Patronage of the President of Malta, aim to promote and give recog- nition to quality architectural and interior design projects that promise to leave a positive mark for decades to come. e awards celebrate the meticulous work and innovation of the people behind these iconic projects – from estab- lished professionals to graduating students. is year, the prestigious President's Award was con- ferred to Perit Konrad Buhagiar for his outstanding con- tribution to the education, theory and practice of archi- tecture and his distinguished lifetime service towards the profession. e Rehabilitation and Conservation Award was won by the Restoration Directorate for the Valletta Design Clus- ter. is project is praiseworthy for the manner with which a disused Grade 1 scheduled building within the heart of lower Valletta was rescued from obsolescence and given a new lease of life through sensitive adaptive reuse. e House for two sisters in Senglea by MODEL Archi- tects and Ċentru Parrokkjali Santu Rokku in Valletta by Perit Silvienne Camilleri received a special commendation. AP Valletta won the Restoration Award for the Teatru Manoel in Valletta. is project illustrated that high-qual- ity restoration can be achieved on the basis of extensive research into the history of the building as well as its so- cio-political and architectural context. One of the key components of the project was the reconstruction of the façade in accordance with the original façade drawing within the eighteenth-century Vilhena Cabreo. Here, AP Valletta went further than mere reconstruction, but crea- tively suggested subtle changes to the facade to accommo- date new elements which allow the façade to assume its historic prominence. e restoration of the Belvedere in Lija by Perit Amanda De Giovanni and Concrete Water Tower in Marsa by Prof Perit Ruben Paul Borg were given a special commendation. e Sterling HQ building in San Gwann by Christian Spiteri Architects was the winner of the Design Award for Good Architecture, Building and Structure. Although located within an industrial estate, this high-quality con- temporary building is an ambitious attempt to reverse the nondescript architecture that characterises such places. e design is a play on visual lightness and heaviness that required the solution of several design challenges through structural design acumen. Serving as a multifunctional space, the design has successfully addressed the client's requirement for warehousing, manufacturing, exhibition spaces and offices within the same building. A special commendation within this category was given to MODEL Architects for House 51 in Sliema and EM Ar- chitects for OneOneO in Gzira. De Micoli & Associates won the Residential Architec- ture Award for the Portomaso Laguna. e project is a high-quality solution to a design brief that required the prioritisation of the waterside location. e project also showcases several energy efficient measures to minimise thermal transmittance through the building fabric includ- ing overhang shading to add support to the thermal per- formance of the specialised glass of the facades. Continued on Page 14 & 15 Perit Konrad Buhagiar