Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1537233
12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 6 JULY 2025 NEWS Gzira's Art Nouveau townhouse earmarked for 10-storey hotel A planning application proposes the in- ternal demolition of an Art Nouveau building in what was once Gżira's red- light district, and its replacement with a 10-storey hotel. The building in Triq l-Imsida is situated opposite the old Gżira stadium. Developer Michael Bugeja is propos- ing two levels of underground parking, a restaurant and two shops at ground floor level, and a hotel above with a rooftop pool. The top two floors will be recessed. The old building's façade, internal hall- way, and staircase will also be retained. In 2024, the Planning Authority ap- proved a seven-storey office development on the same site, which would have re- tained the villa's façade and significant internal features. That permit remains valid. However, the newly proposed develop- ment will be taller due to the application of a policy allowing two additional floors beyond the height limits for hotels. The existing building, known as Villino Micallef, is regarded by the Superintend- ence of Cultural Heritage (SCH) as a "fine example of a two-storey Art Nouveau townhouse" with "evident architectural and cultural heritage value". The cultural watchdog had previously granted clearance for the 2024 permit be- cause it retained the façade, hallway, and staircase. In its assessment of the current appli- cation, the SCH recognised that the area is already heavily committed to vertical development, while also noting that the developers are now proposing a taller building than the one approved two years ago. The SCH requested plans showing the streetscape elevations on both Triq l-Imsida and Triq Testaferrata. While the SCH has not rejected the ap- plication, Din l-Art Ħelwa has lodged an objection. "While taking note of the overall streets- cape context, this does not justify the total demolition of the Art Nouveau building within the development, nor does retain- ing the façade while dwarfing its archi- tectural features beneath eight overlying storeys," the NGO said in its objection. Triq l-Imsida along with Triq Testafer- rata and neighbouring roads were once a red-light district where prostitutes op- erated from decrepit apartments and walked the streets. However, the area has seen a gradual transformation over the past two decades with old buildings making way for mod- ern office and residential blocks. Gentri- fication pushed out most of the prostitu- tion that took place in the area. JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt A historic Art Nouveau villa in Gzira may be replaced by a ten-storey hotel, as a new planning application proposes the internal demolition of Villino Micallef