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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 6 MARCH 2022 12 COMMERCIAL 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 Resi- dential Home and the Portomaso Laguna are some of the projects that took the top spots at the 2021 Malta Architecture and Spatial Planning (MASP) Awards held on Saturday 27 February. e MASP Awards, which are held under the Patronage of the President of Malta, aim to pro- mote and give recognition 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 inno- vation of the people behind these iconic projects – from estab- lished professionals to graduat- ing students. is year, the pres- tigious President's Award was conferred to Perit Konrad Buha- giar for his outstanding contri- bution to the education, theory and practice of architecture and his distinguished lifetime service towards the profession. e Re- habilitation and Conservation Award was won by the Restora- tion Directorate for the Vallet- ta Design Cluster. is project is praiseworthy for the manner with which a disused Grade 1 scheduled building within the heart of lower Valletta was res- cued from obsolescence and given a new lease of life through sensitive adaptive reuse. e House for two sisters in Senglea by MODEL Architects and Ċentru Parrokkjali Santu Rokku in Valletta by Perit Silvi- enne Camilleri received a special commendation. AP Valletta won the Restora- tion Award for the Teatru Ma- noel in Valletta. is project illustrated that high-quality res- toration can be achieved on the basis of extensive research into the history of the building as well as its socio-political and archi- tectural context. One of the key components of the project was the reconstruction of the façade in accordance with the original façade drawing within the eight- eenth-century Vilhena Cabreo. Here, AP Valletta went fur- ther than mere reconstruction, but creatively suggested subtle changes to the facade to accom- modate new elements which al- low the façade to assume its his- toric prominence. e restoration of the Belve- dere in Lija by Perit Amanda De Giovanni and Concrete Water Tower in Marsa by Prof Perit Ru- ben Paul Borg were given a spe- cial 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 locat- ed within an industrial estate, this high-quality contemporary building is an ambitious attempt to reverse the nondescript archi- tecture that characterises such places. e design is a play on visual lightness and heaviness that required the solution of sev- eral design challenges through structural design acumen. Serving as a multifunctional space, the design has successfully addressed the client's require- ment for warehousing, manu- facturing, exhibition spaces and offices within the same building. A special commendation within this category was given to MOD- EL Architects for House 51 in Sliema and EM Architects for OneOneO in Gzira. De Micoli & Associates won the Residential Architecture Award for the Por- tomaso Laguna. e project is a high-quality solution to a design brief that required the prioriti- sation of the waterside location. e project also showcases sev- eral energy efficient measures to minimise thermal transmittance through the building fabric in- cluding overhang shading to add support to the thermal perfor- mance of the specialised glass of the facades. Continued on Pages 14 & 15 Perit Konrad Buhagiar MASP Awards