The Wedge
| Date | 2024–Ongoing |
|---|---|
| Client | VISET plc |
| Value | n.a. |
| Location | Valletta, Malta |
new build traditional building techniques urban regeneration valletta regeneration
The Valletta Waterfront is a conservation project focused not only on preserving the scheduled monuments within its area but also on the essential task of conserving and promoting the Grand Harbour’s rich maritime heritage. This heritage is a defining element that makes the Grand Harbour one of the Mediterranean’s most popular and respected maritime destinations.
The proposal for the Wedge is inspired by the articulation, orientation, materials, and scale of the Pinto Stores. It displays a chiaroscuro play of light during the day and acts as an illuminated gateway building at night.
While the back facade is kept simple, echoing the language of the looming bastions, the seafront facade aligns sympathetically with the Pinto Stores, featuring greater depth and detail. Its rhythmic form and triangular accents harmonize the Baroque elegance of the Pinto Stores with the angular lines of the Pinto Terminal extension.
Like the historic Pinto Stores, the Wedge Building’s facade includes a 'Piano Nobile' with enhanced modelling on its uppermost level, giving the stone surface a refined texture. The scale of the proposed building is softened with a rhythmic pattern of vertical elements as seen in the front elevation of the Pinto Stores.
In addition to the vertical articulation of the stone facade, sections of the building will incorporate inclined wall faces, evoking the adjacent bastions to soften its architectural expression. At the point where these inclined planes meet, visitors are welcomed into an extended pedestrianized waterfront, marked by the Wedge’s distinctive presence as a landmark.
In the early 1700s, Francesco Zerafa, a leading Maltese architect of the period, specified in a building guide that the base courses of buildings in the city should be constructed from hard stone to address the issue of rising damp. In homage to this tradition, the Wedge will feature a foundation of Żonqor hard stone, while the main structure will be built using local Franka stone.
