Architecture & Design

Architecture & Design | 29 How did you define the architectural 'voice' of the new façade in relation to Valletta's historic fabric? The façade does not seek to mimic the past nor shout over it; rather, it speaks in a melodic relief – a contemporary expression that uses the ancient language of stone to bridge the gap between Valletta's 16th-century origins and its 21st-century future. Valletta is a city of stone. The new façade's voice remains authentic because it speaks the language of Stereotomy (the art of cutting solids). By using individually carved limestone blocks, the façade honours the traditional Mediterranean craftsmanship of the city but updates the accent using digital parametric tools. The voice of the façade changes throughout the day. Because the stones are rotated at specific angles, they "catch" the Maltese sun differently at noon than they do at dusk. This makes the architectural voice performative; it actively interacts with the climate and the streetscape of Merchants Street, rather than being a static, two-dimensional wall. How did you negotiate the balance between preservation and contemporary expression, and were there moments where that balance became particularly challenging? The primary way we negotiated this balance was through materiality. By choosing to use the same globigerina limestone (franka) as the original Cathedral, we established a common vocabulary with the past. However, the contemporary expression of the new Tapestry Chamber comes from the syntax. While the original building used stone in a heavy, load-bearing manner, the new façade uses robotic stereotomy to rotate and tilt the blocks. This creates a vibrating surface of light and shadow. The balance was found by staying loyal to the stone while being progressive with the geometry. The volume of the new Tapestry Chamber was a point of intense negotiation. We needed height to hang the tapestries in their full glory, but we had to respect the skyline of Valletta and the proportions of the street. The challenge was: how do we create a monumental interior without creating an overbearing exterior? The solution was the rotated pilasters, which break up the mass of the building and make the height feel melodic rather than monolithic. One of the most challenging moments in any heritage project is the physical connection, where 21st-century interventions meet 17th-century masonry. There were moments of tension when we had to decide how to anchor the new structure without compromising the structural integrity of the ancient walls. We negotiated this by designing non-invasive connections wherever possible.

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