Excavation approved for St Julian’s site linked to 40-storey tower
Works form part of wider project that could become Malta’s tallest building
Excavation works linked to a proposed 40-storey tower in St Julian’s have been approved by the Planning Commission.
Planning applications PA/05346/25 and PA/05350/25 were unanimously approved on Thursday. Both applications concern a site in Triq Santu Wistin, St Julian’s.
The applicant is Project Landmark, represented by Paul Xuereb. The architect listed on the applications is Adrian Falzon.
The approved works cover the excavation of the existing site as an extension to the already-approved first phase of the project, PA/02470/16 which included the demolition of the existing building and the start of excavation works.
The two newly-approved applications allow the excavation phase to be extended further.
The works form part of a wider development that is expected to include underground parking, other facilities and an overlying tower.
The commission’s approval marks another step towards the possible development of what could become the tallest building in Malta.
In 2023, the Planning Authority approved a 33-storey tower overlooking the Paceville skyline. Since then, the developer has applied to enlarge the project’s footprint and increase the tower’s height to 40 storeys through a separate application, PA/04313/25.
That revised height has not yet been approved.
An environmental impact assessment submitted as part of the process outlines how the proposed tower’s shadow would affect nearby areas at different times of the year.
According to the report, residential areas in Swieqi would be affected between dawn and 10am from March to September while areas in Paceville would be in the shade between 9am and noon during those months.
Other nearby areas, including commercial and hospitality establishments in Triq Santu Wistin, would be affected between 10am and 1pm throughout the year.
Buildings to the east of the proposed tower would be left in the shade from 3pm onwards throughout the year, the report says.
The latest approval does not cover the proposed increase in height to 40 storeys. That part of the project is still being assessed by the Planning Authority.