Architecture & Design | 9
T
his issue celebrates the thoughtful
dialogue between heritage and
contemporary design; a conversation
that finds no better stage than Malta's evolving
architectural landscape.
Gracing our cover is the remarkable restoration
of Casa Gourgion, a 19th-century noble
residence masterfully designed by Andrea
Vassallo in 1886. After decades of change and
neglect, the house has been revived through
a sensitive four-year restoration led by Alan
Galea and Andrea Vassallo Cesareo. Their work
exemplifies how the past can be preserved
while making space for new narratives, as the
house steps into its future as a house museum.
In our main interview, architect and curator
Andrew Borg Wirth shares insights from
his dual practice, offering a compelling
perspective on Malta's architectural path
forward. His reflections on URNA, Malta's
pavilion at the London Design Biennale 2025,
explore the power of design to confront deep
cultural questions; in this case, the rituals
surrounding cremation, while remaining rooted
in place.
Borg Wirth's call for a culture that both
honours heritage and embraces meaningful
contemporary work strikes at the heart of
Malta's architectural crossroads. As he reminds
us, preserving history isn't about freezing it,
but about engaging with it and allowing new
architecture to emerge as a living extension of
what came before.
Our built environment is shaped not only by
design but by dialogue. Between past and
present, profit and preservation, vision and
responsibility; the spaces we create tomorrow
depend on the conversations we start today.
PUBLISHED BY
MediaToday Co Ltd
PUBLISHER AND
REGISTERED
EDITOR
Saviour Balzan
DISTRIBUTION
Free with the MaltaToday
HEAD OF SALES
Adriana Farrugia
afarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt
+356 2138 2741
DESIGN
Philippa Zammit
REGISTERED ADDRESS
MediaToday Co Ltd
Vjal ir-Riħan
San Gwann, Malta
CONTACT
Philippa Zammit
pzammit@mediatoday.com.mt
COVER
Casa Gourgion
Photo: Alex Attard
