This year’s President’s Award was presented to Valentino Architects, who demonstrated a keen sensitivity to materiality, place, and culture. Their work reflects a consistent depth of thought and a commitment to elevating the local context through refined design and craftsmanship.

The jury commended Valentino Architects for their bold professional risk-taking and the quality of execution across their submissions, which together represented a body of work deserving of this recognition.

Among the four shortlisted projects submitted, two received category awards:

Dar San Rokku — Adaptive Renovation Award
Stilla San Lazzru Guesthouse — Hospitality Design Award
VIP Terminal at the Malta International Airport — Hospitality Design Award (Winner)
Dar iċ-Ċitru — Single Dwelling Design Award (Winner)

Through these works, Valentino Architects have demonstrated how sensitivity, precision, and vision can converge to produce architecture that resonates deeply with its cultural and material setting.

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Team

Lead Perit/i: Chris Briffa Architects

Architectural Design: Chris Briffa Architects

Planning Consulting: Chris Briffa Architects

Structural Engineering: Perit Ivan Muscat

Conservation: Architecture XV, MCG Architects, Giordano Periti

Interior Design: Chris Briffa Architects

Spatial Planning: ERSLI Consultants Limited

Building Systems Engineering: Galea Curmi Engineering

Hydrology Consulting: Sustech Consulting

Mechanical Engineering: Galea Curmi Engineering

Waste Management Consulting: TM Consult

Health & Safety Consulting: JP Health and Safety Consultants

Project Management: Anthony Attard

Sited beside the Sacra Infermeria – reputed to be the most advanced hospital in the Mediterranean for over two centuries – this project called for a retention of the exterior of 1960s Evans Laboratories while converting it into a luxury hospitality resort. The brief also highlighted concern to protect any archaeological remains which may be lying beneath its large car park, in particular the acclaimed Chapel of Bones: an underground crypt and ossuary of the now defunct Nibbia Chapel.

During meticulous historical research, we studied old drawings & photographs of the more interesting buildings preceding Evans; namely the Anatomical Theatre beside Nibbia Chapel and an arcaded school built in 1904. These elegant structures, lost forever during WWII air raids, were a source of inspiration for our design concept, which centres around invoking memories of the architectural ghosts surrounding the site.  

Our proposal aims at resuscitating parts of these foregone structures in the form of transparent, gabion sculptures built to a scale of 1:1. A landmark sculptural installation which respects and recognizes the site’s past, it will also function as garden walls defining original boundaries while containing all the rubble unearthed during the archaeological exploration. A solution which serves not only as an act of preservation and waste management, but also, as a performance celebrating the discoveries which are yet to be exhumed.

Evans building itself, will be externally restored with minimal interventions on some of its windows; elongating some of them will achieve more elegant proportions while improving internal views. The rear façade will be dressed with two, external corner elements, employed to house all building services and external fire escapes, while addressing various climatic challenges. This will ensure minimal intervention within the existing building, while drastically reducing runs of air-conditioning, fresh air and other services. Their aim is to integrate passive design solutions, such as natural ventilation and cooling; with active systems for energy generation and preservation while being detached from the historical envelope and mimic the ghost-like garden walls.  

The interiors will be mainly finished with local and natural materials – such as hardstone & hemp. Our aim is to use both recycled and upcycled elements, such as cardboard partitions and reconstituted masonry. Vernacular elements like the garigor – so ingrained in Malta’s architectural make-up – will also feature in reconstituted stone, within its duplex rooms.

Eventually, when the dust will settle and all findings are brought back to light, a Mediterranean garden will grow instead of the current car park; not only as an attraction for visitors, but also a fitting front garden for the Sacra Infermeria This is what this proposal seeks to achieve: an ephemeral experience, which perhaps for a limited time, becomes tangible testimony to Valletta’s forgotten stories.

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Team

Principal: Anthony Bonnici, Perit Karl Ebejer

Founded in 2021 by Karl Ebejer and Anthony Bonnici, EBEJER BONNICI is an architectural practice rooted in Malta, with a primary focus on discovering new potentials and worlds in architecture.

The practice is centred around a common understanding that architecture is an experience, and space serves as its universal foundation. Combining rigorous technical expertise with philosophical depth, the studio is dedicated to creating works that challenge conventional boundaries while remaining anchored to the cultural DNA of the Maltese islands. From a hotel made in limestone in a village piazza, to a steel mausoleum, to international work such as residential designs in Baja California Sur, Mexico and Oaji, California, USA the studio’s portfolio reflects its ability to adapt to complex scales and contexts. With Bonnici’s experience leading groundbreaking international projects and Ebejer’s precision in navigating Malta’s challenging planning landscape, EBEJER BONNICI is crafting an architecture that is both globally ambitious and locally resonant. The studio’s latest project, the Maltese Pavilion for the 2025 London Design Biennale at Somerset House, stands as a testament to their dedication to redefining architectural identity in Malta and beyond.

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Team

Lead Perit/i: Perit Alex Torpiano

Architectural Design: Perit Alex Torpiano

Planning Consulting: Perit Alex Torpiano

Geotechnical Engineering: Perit Adrian Mifsud

Structural Engineering: Andrew Pillow, Kyle Vella, Luke Farrugia, Adam Micallef, Perit Nathan Vella, Perit Ramon Fenech, Perit Anton Muscat Xerri, Perit Jean Paul Vella

Drafting: Daniel Borg, Fernando Dingli, Roland Sultana

The Sustainable Living Complex (SLC) in Msida represents a bold reimagining of how engineering innovation can shape Malta’s future built environment.

Conceived as a landmark for interdisciplinary collaboration, SLC integrates advanced structural systems, sustainable strategies, and cutting-edge research facilities into a cohesive whole, setting a national benchmark for resource-efficient, high-performance buildings.

Strategically positioned along the University Ring Road, SLC is more than an academic facility: it is a living demonstration of how engineering can advance resilience, sustainability, and civic benefit. The project delivers state-of-the-art research laboratories, workshops, and teaching spaces while serving as a testbed for innovative technologies in resource efficiency, aviation, aerospace, and maritime studies. By embedding engineering innovation into its very fabric, SLC becomes both an infrastructure for knowledge creation and a civic asset that enhances the quality of life on campus and beyond.

The project confronted significant technical challenges posed by its location and architectural ambition. Solutions included:

• A hybrid foundation system that navigated existing service tunnels and stabilised adjacent infrastructure through contiguous piled retaining walls.
• A steel transfer structure with inclined columns, engineered to distribute complex loads and accommodate the building’s unique geometry & layouts.
• Diagrid nodes and monumental staircases, requiring bespoke three-dimensional modelling and finite element analysis to ensure precision, safety, and resilience under seismic and wind loads.
• Complex steel-to-concrete interfaces, where innovative reinforcement strategies and advanced anchoring systems were developed to mitigate high stress concentrations and failure risks.

These interventions required not only technical mastery but also ingenuity, with each connection designed as a custom solution, pushing the limits of fabrication and construction techniques in Malta.

Beyond its technical achievements, SLC is a model of sustainability. The building integrates resource-monitoring systems, enabling live data collection to inform future policy-making on energy efficiency and sustainable development. Its design minimises material waste, optimises structural performance, and showcases best-practice approaches to sustainable construction. More importantly, it creates a high-quality, interdisciplinary research ecosystem, fostering collaboration that drives indigenous innovation across sectors critical to Malta’s future resilience.

SLC is not only a building but a national statement on the power of engineering to solve complex problems with civic purpose. By transforming a challenging site into a cutting-edge facility, it exemplifies technical rigour, contextual sensitivity, and long-term relevance. It enhances daily life for students, academics, and researchers, while setting a new benchmark for engineering-led projects in Malta.

Through its ingenuity, precision, and vision, the Sustainable Living Complex stands as a testament to engineering excellence, an innovation that redefines how Malta builds for resilience, sustainability and quality of life.

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Team

Lead Perit/i: Valentino Architects

Architectural Design: Valentino Architects

Planning Consulting: Valentino Architects

Geotechnical Engineering: Terracore

Structural Engineering: Perit Peter Zammit

Interior Design: Valentino Architects

Landscaping Design: Melina Scodanibbio Garden Design

Building Systems Engineering: MTS Consulting

Project Management: Projects Department within MIA

Located just metres from the runway, the new VIP Terminal at the Malta International Airport offers an alternative to the main terminal experience – one that is composed, efficient, and intentional – reflecting the building’s operational purpose.

With separate access and a full concierge service, the terminal allows travellers to bypass standard airport procedures in favour of a quieter, more personal journey.

The VIP terminal has long been in operation as a detached building with two wings: the west wing dedicated to Commercially Important Persons (CIP) and the east reserved for Ministerial and Diplomatic use. The project brief called for the demolition and reconstruction of the CIP terminal, expanding its capacity to meet growing demand – whilst retaining the east wing.

The stone structure of the former CIP terminal was carefully deconstructed: its limestone blocks salvaged, sliced, and reworked to reveal fresh surfaces. Each piece was hand-textured with the traditional ‘mannarett’ chisel, a tool long used by Maltese stoneworkers. This gave the building a new stone skin, rich in texture and rhythm, while avoiding the environmental cost of new stone.

The recycled stone was made central to the building’s aesthetic: a clear demonstration of how Malta’s precious stone, too often sent to landfill during demolition, can be elevated to meet the standards of a high-end architectural project. This is both a sustainable gesture and a cultural one, embedding the new terminal with the material memory of its predecessor.

The design was guided by two clear intentions: First, to create a strong sense of place: ensuring travellers immediately recognise that they have arrived in Malta, not through overt symbols, but through the atmosphere of the spaces, their proportions and materials. Second, to ensure the new building sits comfortably alongside the retained east wing, distinct yet complementary.

The architecture is deliberately elemental: thick stone walls, rough plaster, and filtered daylight. These are not generic luxury materials, but ones that speak authentically of Malta: sun-bleached, tactile, and enduring. The ground-level limestone walls give the terminal a grounded presence rooted in the island’s architectural heritage. Above, a white plastered volume contrasts with the stone, offering calm and shelter to the spaces formed between the stone blocks below.

The interiors balance openness with privacy: a generous main lounge on the ground floor filled with natural light, and intimate first-floor suites with private terraces overlooking the runway. Above, an uncluttered roof supports a large solar array that generates a significant share of the terminal’s energy needs.

What sets this terminal apart is its deep engagement with place. Rather than relying on imported finishes or high-tech spectacle, the terminal offers something quieter and more enduring: a contemporary expression of Maltese identity, rooted in craft, care, and permanence.

Images © Julian Vassallo

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Team

Lead Perit/i: MODEL, MODEL

Architectural Design: MODEL, MODEL

Planning Consulting: MODEL, MODEL

Structural Engineering: MODEL, MODEL

Conservation: MODEL, MODEL

Interior Design: MODEL, MODEL

Project Management: MODEL, MODEL

An architecture studio has created its own workshop inside a former carpenter’s warehouse in Marsa, designing an open-plan office which draws inspiration from the true essence of Maltese vernacular architecture.

The building was initially conceived as a farmhouse with chickens, rabbits and horses. Later it was adapted as a carpenter’s workshop for two decades, before its eventual abandonment.

From the street, an unassuming traditional Maltese door partakes in the traditional streetscape. Beyond this door lies a different world; a long-whitewashed entrance corridor gives glimpses of an office, with a hidden garden beyond. The office is comprised of a big central room, with three smaller rooms that make up an enfilade. The entire system is in constant negotiation with the Mediterranean garden, which runs the entire length of all these rooms. The big room – the former carpenter’s workshop – now houses the main office space, where a long, continuous table proudly sits. This central table reflects the studio’s non-hierarchal nature – all the team members sit and work together here.

Hints of the building’s past life are visible and celebrated, rather than hidden away. The original concrete floors were preserved and re-polished, with all blemishes and horse hooves markings visible. Carpentry machinery from the building’s past were given new life as furniture pieces in the new office. The garden acts as the lung of the building – it provides the workspaces with fresh air and natural light. Within this abundant garden lies a terracotta-coloured volume that houses the restrooms and storage areas. Dotted throughout are benches that were upcycled from traditional Maltese building elements. The garden is enjoyed daily during lunch breaks and for team events – it is central to office life here.

Although the project’s ambitions are simple – that of removing later additions to reintroduce spatial clarity, whitewashing all rooms to minimise visual noise, and reinstating the garden – as a totality, it is truly greater than the sum of its parts. The materials employed – whitewashed stone walls, painted steel beams and polished concrete – echo this ethos and the building’s humble origins. They are modest, yet show honesty in how the building was put together.

Throughout its history, the building has always performed as a place of work, and this chapter of the building’s existence is no exception. This intervention shows that sometimes, improvements do not come from major additions, but rather, careful subtractions and preservation of what was found.

Images © Christian Grech, Alex Attard

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Team

Lead Perit/i: Valentino Architects

Architectural Design: Valentino Architects

Planning Consulting: Valentino Architects

Structural Engineering: PERITI STUDIO

Conservation: Valentino Architects

Interior Design: Valentino Architects

Project Management: DPM – Design + Project Management

Set within the urban conservation area of Ħaż-Żebbuġ, Dar Iċ-Ċitru reimagines a vernacular Maltese townhouse through subtle internal reconfiguration and a contemporary addition.

The project balances heritage conservation with architectural intention and places a mature citrus garden at the centre of the home’s experience.

The property spans between two streets: ‘Triq Mamo’ at the front and a discreet garden entrance on ‘Triq il-Kbira, Sqaq Nru. 3’ at the rear. Similar to the neighbouring dwellings, it is part of a wider green enclave formed by large gardens and divided by tall rubble walls that form the green heart of the town. This context, along with the family’s need for greater living space, became the starting point for the project.

Prior to intervention, the house was largely fragmented. The entrance block – that housed a study, the sole ground floor w/c, and the staircase to the first-floor bedrooms – was completely disconnected from the living block: one had to cross through an external courtyard to travel between the two. The design sought to resolve this by connecting the two blocks, introducing a new passage that improves light, ventilation, and flow.

The generous rear garden, set circa one metre below the internal floor level, was disengaged from the interior. This mature citrus garden – typical of the Ħaż-Żebbuġ Urban Conservation Area – became the project’s focus. A new living space was introduced within it, designed as a lightweight glazed volume elevated above the soil on stilts. This raised structure preserves the garden’s integrity, allowing planting and soft landscaping to grow undisturbed.

The glazed extension is conceived as a counterpoint to the solidity of the historic building. Its transparency allows the original stone walls to remain visually dominant, ensuring that the historic fabric is always in focus. By pulling back in both materiality and form, the new structure frames the old, accentuating its texture, proportion, and permanence.

The extension draws inspiration from Philip Johnson’s Glass House; yet reinterpreted for a Mediterranean setting to respond to climate and context. Generous glazing is shaded by the surrounding stone walls of the house and the deep overhang of the extension, while sliding doors create a space that is open and encourages natural ventilation into the old home. Internally, the new room feels embedded in the garden. Framed views, filtered light, and a restrained material palette of timber, linen, and concrete create a calm, immersive atmosphere. Dappled shadows animate stone and floor, shifting quietly throughout the day.

Foundation pads were set on rock and concealed under soil, leaving the garden intact. A large well discovered on site was restored to collect rainwater, now supplying irrigation for the large garden and ensuring the garden’s longevity.

Dar iċ-Ċitru does not impose itself upon its setting. Instead, it strengthens the bond between home and garden, forming continuity between old and new, inside and out. The project transforms a once-disjointed dwelling into a cohesive, contemplative environment where heritage and landscape are placed at the centre of family life.

Images © Ramon Portelli

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Team

Lead Perit/i: Chris Briffa Architects

Architectural Design: Chris Briffa Architects

Planning Consulting: Chris Briffa Architects

Structural Engineering: Cuschieri Architects

Art Restoration & Conservation: Prevarti

Interior Design: Chris Briffa Architects

Building Systems Engineering: Camilleri & Cuschieri

Project Management: James Spiteri Tanti

Teatru Salesjan’s refurbishment project (completed in 2024) strived to achieve a balance preserving historical integrity while meeting contemporary demands, making it a candidate for the Adaptive Renovation Award.

By carefully respecting the building’s original architecture – restoring significant features such as the ornate detailing, the Giuseppe Calí fresco, stage layout, and distinctive spatial configuration – the project highlights the theatre’s storied legacy.

At the same time, it thoughtfully integrates modern interventions to ensure continued relevance and functionality, including enhanced lighting, improved acoustics, HVAC, and upgraded safety measures: each installed with the intention of being totally reversible.

This sensitive blend of old and new not only safeguards the cultural and historical character of Teatru Salesjan but also revitalises it as a vibrant community hub for the performing arts. The meticulous approach to restoration and adaptive reuse – emphasizing authenticity, sustainability, and durability – demonstrates that historic buildings can evolve with the times while retaining their heritage value.

Images © Chris Briffa Architect, Hanna Briffa

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