Architecture & Design

22 | Architecture & Design O n Saturday 17 October, The Grandmaster's Palace in Valletta welcomed architects, engineers, designers, clients and contractors to the ceremony of the Premju Emanuele Luigi Galizia 2026. It capped a week that took architecture among the public, with a children's design workshop at Teatru Manoel, an informative talk about the man behind the award, and live presentations by the finalists to the jury. For the first time, the Kamra tal-Periti (Malta's Chamber of Architects) and the Planning Authority organised the awards together, through a joint committee set up to raise the standard of the awards, broaden their scope and strengthen the recognition of professional excellence. The 2026 theme, Building with., captured the spirit of awards that are always submitted on behalf of the whole project team, from client to contractor. A double win beneath the bastions MICAS, the Malta International Contemporary Art Space in Floriana, first won the Adaptive Reuse Award, with the jury praising a single, confident gesture that gives the fortifications a renewed civic life. It was then chosen from among all the category winners for the evening's highest honour, the Overall Award. The jury described a project of national significance that shelters the space beneath the fortifications with an elegant roof, preserves the natural conditions that once fell on the walls, and creates remarkable spaces for contemporary art. The honour also makes MICAS eligible to compete in a European-level architecture award. The winners and why they won Across the categories, the jury kept returning to the same qualities: restraint, respect for context and value well beyond budget. Built Heritage Conservation Award – The Jesuits' Church, Valletta. An impeccable and modest restoration, patiently researched, documented and detailed, that keeps the building fully legible as a seventeenth-century temple. Public Projects Award – Rabat Gozo Primary School. A modernist building safeguarded and transformed, with restraint and a modest budget, into a school with a new life. Single Dwelling Design Award – Dar Sikada, Għargħur. A radical approach to heritage that unsettles the chronology of old and new, combining close attention to process and detail with an innovative landscape design. Workplace Design Award – SAMA, Ħamrun. A moment of wonder in a harsh place. Working on a limited budget, the team brought softness and comfort to children living within an institution, adapting to their scale and achieving remarkable value for its cost. A c o n t e m p o r a r y a r t s p a c e b e n e a t h t h e F l o r i a n a b a s t i o n s , a G o z o p r i m a r y s c h o o l a n d a r e s t o r e d V a l l e t t a c h u r c h w e r e a m o n g t h e p r o j e c t s h o n o u r e d a s M a l t a ' s n a t i o n a l a r c h i t e c t u r e a w a r d s w e r e c o - o r g a n i s e d b y t h e K a m r a t a l - P e r i t i a n d t h e P l a n n i n g A u t h o r i t y f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e . PREMJU GALIZIA 2026 R a b a t G o z o P r i m a r y S c h o o l MALTA'S FINEST ARCHITECTURE TAKES CENTRE STAGE M I C A S , r o o f a g a i n s t t h e F l o r i a n a f o r t i f i c a t i o n s

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