Fresh attempt to turn Palazzino Vincenti into 13-storey hotel

Developer Carlo Stivala has filed fresh plans to convert St Julian’s Palazzino Vincenti into a 13-storey hotel by refurbishing the building and constructing the rest of the floors on top.

The developer’s original plan was to demolish the 19th-century building and construct a hotel in its stead. These plans had sparked outrage among environmentalists and residents, with the plans receiving over 1,000 objections.

But in April 2023, the Palazzino was saved from demolition after the Planning Authority granted it a Grade 2 protection, after being under emergency protection for two years until the PA determined what level of long-term protection it merited.

Grade 2 protection protects buildings from demolition but allows minor interior alterations that retain the character of the building.

The facades of the two houses abutting the Palazzino were also scheduled at Grade 2, but their interiors were scheduled as Grade 3, which does not protect them from demolition.

The latest drawings published on 2 October, the application (PA/07761/21), propose retaining and restoring the Palazzino, while constructing the remaining floors on top.

The plans propose having shops, an indoor pool and spa on the ground floor; the reception, shops, restaurant and guest rooms on the first floor; restaurant and guest rooms on the second floor, a services area on the third floor; and guest rooms from the fourth till the twelfth floor, as well as a rooftop pool.

Built in the post-World War II period, the building was designed by architect Gustavo R. Vincenti as his own personal residence and is one of his masterpieces.

The PA described it as being one of the best modernist examples on the Island, where Vincenti’s mastery of circular and square geometric shapes was taken to an unprecedented dimension with its protruding forms and sculpted spaces, the 

Palazzino Vincenti served as Vincenti’s residence until his death in April 1974.