A major new residential and public realm project designed by LOM architecture and design has broken ground after Malta’s planning authority approved the project. The €30m (£26m) scheme is the final phase of MIDI plc’s €275m development of Tigné Point, with the current civil works being carried out by Excel System Construction Ltd.
Located close to Malta’s capital Valetta, Tigné Point has been transformed over the last twenty years with residential, leisure, retail and office accommodation focused around restored, landscaped public realm. The new residential block, known as Q3, and its surrounding site development will be the final project to complete the Tigné Point peninsula.
Q3 includes 16 floors of residential accommodation consisting of 63 luxury apartments across 9,000 m². The new residential tower will provide bright and airy living spaces that are designed to maximise views out towards Valletta and the Mediterranean Sea. The apartments range from one to four bedrooms, with penthouse units located on the upper five levels.
The building has a stepped profile to accommodate the generous penthouse terraces, each with its own swimming pool. Its south facade has a staggered profile, with large balconies that provide shading. Glass reinforced concrete cladding will be used on the facades to reflect the local limestone and is contrasted with a secondary palette of bronze-coloured zinc balcony edges.
Interiors will have a neutral, cool palette of light porcelain tiles, engineered timber flooring, natural stone wall tiles and bronze accent finishes. A residents’ gym, office and communal meeting space are located at ground level. Four levels of basement car parking are provided, which has allowed the creation of a pedestrianised ground level.
The building is set within 7,000 m² of landscaped public realm that contains the ‘Garden Battery’. This is one of a series of 19th-century artillery fortifications on the island, and the restored Garden Battery is the centrepiece of the Tigné Point scheme.
An existing structure on the site will be built out to form a new market plaza adjoining the existing Tigné Piazza on the southern edge of the Garden Battery. The market plaza marks the entrance to the site, and its terraced roof will form a new public meeting place with space for market stalls and community activities. The lower levels will provide scope for future retail and food and beverage outlets. The plaza steps down to meet the Garden Battery, with a panoramic glazed lift connecting the plaza to the lower level.
The landscaping has been sensitively designed to provide fully accessible public walkways and create an attractive garden setting, with stone terraces, stepped seating and green spaces planted with native species, a water feature and reflection pools. A new pedestrian bridge will also link The Point shopping mall (which is adjacent to the development site) to the seafront promenade.
Mark Portelli, CEO, MIDI plc, said:
“We are proud to have collaborated with LOM architecture and design to create this iconic residential development. LOM’s talented architectural team created a concept which is in keeping with the surrounding Tigné Point development, but stands out because of its novel stepped profile and façade treatment. The development boasts modern construction techniques and materials which give this building a unique and distinct look. This is a landmark development for Tigné Point and the region.”
Richard Hutchinson, director at LOM architecture and design said:
“The apartments are sensitively designed to maximise the amazing views over the Mediterranean Sea and across to the UNESCO World Heritage city of Valletta. The new public plaza, footbridge and the carefully planned landscaping around the Garden Battery will create an accessible public quarter at Tigné Point. A destination for people to relax, socialise and appreciate the island’s military heritage.”