Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546390
Architecture & Design | 35 I f you have ever stepped into an old traditional Maltese home on a hot summer afternoon, you may have noticed something surprising. Despite the heat outside, the house often feels cooler, calmer and more comfortable than expected. Part of the reason lies in the architecture itself, with shaded courtyards, open terraces, timber louvres and the use of breezeblocks helping to control light and air long before air-conditioning became commonplace. In Maltese townhouses built during the 1950s to 1970s, breezeblocks were often incorporated into garden walls, balcony screens, entrance screens and stair enclosures, combining practical ventilation and shade with a distinctive architectural detail. Breezeblocks have long played a practical role in Mediterranean architecture mostly derived from Arabic influences. Their perforated structures create a sense of separation without completely closing a space, allowing air to circulate while filtering strong sunlight and maintaining privacy. As the sun moves throughout the day, they also create constantly changing patterns of light and shadow. Today, the humble breezeblock is finding new relevance as architects and designers look for ways to make contemporary homes more responsive to their surroundings. Rather than treating walls as solid barriers, perforated screens can create a softer transition between indoors and outdoors, making terraces, courtyards, balconies and patios feel sheltered without becoming enclosed. This is particularly suited to Malta, where the climate allows outdoor living for most of the year. A carefully positioned breezeblock wall can provide shade and privacy while still allowing natural ventilation and daylight to pass through. It can also help create smaller, more comfortable microclimates within a home. Beyond their practical benefits, breezeblocks bring a distinctive architectural character. Their geometric patterns can become a design feature in their own right, casting shadows across floors and walls and giving otherwise simple spaces a sense of movement. The idea is not entirely new. Mediterranean architecture has long relied on permeable elements such as screens, colonnades, loggias and shaded passageways to negotiate the relationship between shelter and the outdoors. What is changing is the way these principles are being adapted to contemporary homes. Atelier Maison is among the studios revisiting this idea, with its FORMA collection of breezeblocks designed to bring light, air and pattern into modern architectural spaces. The renewed interest in breezeblocks reflects a wider shift towards more climate-conscious design. Instead of relying entirely on technology to keep homes comfortable, architecture can work with the natural environment – using shade, ventilation and filtered light to create spaces that feel connected to Malta's Mediterranean climate. Perhaps that is why the breezeblock, once an everyday feature of Maltese architecture, feels surprisingly relevant again. It offers a simple idea for modern living: sometimes the best way to create a comfortable home is not to build another wall, but to make the wall breathe. THE RETURN OF THE BREEZEBLOCK A t e l i e r M a i s o n r e v i s i t s t h e h u m b l e b r e e z e b l o c k , e x p l o r i n g h o w t h i s e n d u r i n g M e d i t e r r a n e a n a r c h i t e c t u r a l e l e m e n t c a n b r i n g s h a d e , a i r f l o w , p r i v a c y a n d c h a r a c t e r t o c o n t e m p o r a r y h o m e s w h i l e r e c o n n e c t i n g s p a c e s w i t h M a l t a ' s c l i m a t e . P h o t o g r a p h y : S i l v i a P a n a y o t o v a - G e c h e v a