Not a single colour, neither one straight line, nor a light fitting, or a piece of art – the residential project that won the Planning Authority’s interior architecture award turns a traditional Rabat terraced house into contemporary architecture that “speaks of its time”.

The home of architect Maurizio Ascione, from the firm 3DM Architecture, this project is “a contemporary reimagining of the conventional architectural norm of a terraced house,” according to the Malta Architectural and Spatial Planning award.

A monochromatic flood of beige, it plays with natural light and a curvilinear structure that takes its inspiration from the original doorway – one of only two elements of the original house that are still standing.

“Take something traditional and do something different with it,” is Ascione’s message, through his own home project.

His award-winning residence, Twenty-four, builds on an installation his team presented in Venice last year, titled Issa, and aims at questioning “how we have lost our architectural identity” over the last 30 to 40 years.

“What is most worrying is that we stopped creating and reinterpreting architecture that speaks of its time. Future generations will not be able to look back and see the language, style and theory of this moment,” the 31-year-old architect maintains.

“We are living in an era where we are not following any principles and new theories. What has been happening since the days of Richard England…?

“We have to push harder on the healing process, and this comes not just from policymakers, architects and clients, but also has a cultural perspective.

“The Maltese can be harsh and direct; they need to be more sensitive to our spaces… It goes beyond architects.”

Insisting it is a “collective” issue, Ascione does not point fingers. “This is a two-way thing; it requires a top-down approach and from the bottom up,” the 31-year-old architect believes about the way forward for quality architecture.

Meanwhile, has too much damage been done already? “To a certain extent, in certain places, yes!”

Rethinking traditional materials

Ascione is concerned about how architectural processes of the past, which gave rise to different styles and languages, can be reinterpreted today, rethinking traditional materials in a contemporary way through modern technology.

A key example of this is staring us in the face: Renzo Piano’s parliament building at the entrance to Valletta, he points out.

While it may fail to inspire everyone, Ascione believes it is a matter of time before those who do not appreciate it will recognise it is “an architectural marvel to be followed”.

As a continuation of Issa, Twenty-four is an example of how the Venice installation can materialise in ‘concrete’ terms.

Except that the main material here is traditional hydraulic lime, with which the walls of the house have been unevenly plastered, leaving a “raw finish”.

“I would love to see other projects give their own interpretations of this,” Ascione says; not just using hydraulic lime, but finding other local materials too.

His next project continues on these lines, but in a rural context: 13 low-volume villas in Magħtab, offering a contemporary reinterpretation of a traditional country house.

Ascione’s residential project – “along with those of other good local architects” – pushes to start off from the old processes, reinterpreting local materials, geometries, forms and scale to create spaces that are at once “timeless, but also clearly designed and built in 2024.

“Future generations, 20 to 30 years down the line, should be able to look back and connect these projects to their particular era,” Ascione believes.

In an age when architects may be most remembered for the “uglification” of Malta, he maintains “we have to be patient, keep motivated and lead by example”.

Today, architects are more focused on paperwork and ticking all the boxes than analysing their context and really designing and coming up with a concept, Ascione continues. “We are left with no time to actually practise architecture.”

Clients also play a crucial role and mutual trust is always to the benefit of everyone and even the surroundings, Ascione believes. Much depends on the synergy between them and the architect.

In this case, however, Ascione wore both hats and did not have the problem of convincing anyone about his vision to create a “quality space”.

How you want to feel in space

The archway at the entrance of the post-war townhouse was its main inspiration. It opens onto a “calming and smooth” space – a sea of subdued hues – with undulating ceilings and rough and rounded edges that could look unfinished to the untrained eye but are a feature that whispers ‘Mediterranean’.

“The original space had its imperfections and we wanted to be true to that. So, no straight walls in keeping with the way it was built 50 years ago, as opposed to a house built today, where everything would be aligned.”

One would be inclined to think no one lives at Twenty-four. Not only is it colourless, but it is also devoid of clutter. However, Ascione assures that he, his wife and dog do, revealing his pets’ colourful toys hidden away in a rattan basket, while almost invisible floor-to-ceiling storage space lines the walls.

“Any colour was deliberately extracted from the space to create serenity and ensure its users do not feel overwhelmed when they get home,” he explains.

Even the contents of his wardrobe – all black and beige – do not break the palette and merge into their surroundings.

“Architecture is after all about how you want to feel in space…”

Contrast was created through the use of harsh and soft materials, textures and the interplay between light and shadows, brightness and darker areas – “the chiaroscuro effect”.

The lighting at Twenty-four is inspired by how natural light enters a space: “You do not see the actual source; you do not even want to see it; just the effect of it,” Ascione explains.

Then it bounces off the curved ceilings.

The verticality of a long and linear LED ‘light fitting’ at the bottom of the stairs, which he “primitively” created himself from splitting a steel pipe, makes the user look upwards until he reaches a grand, five-metre-high curtain, leading the eye to a skylight above.

“It is like there is a connection beyond us.”

Zooming in on the details, Ascione left no stone unturned. It was a process of layering each space, starting off by studying the alignments, he explains. And the language continues through the use of a mix of travertine, Crema Laguna and Crema Marfil marble in the whole house.

Twenty-four is an important number for the couple, marking both their birthdays – and it is the dimension of most things, down to the 24mm holes in the marble grilles.

This winning interior project was described as “exemplary for its intelligent reconfiguration of spaces, coherent approach, bespoke interiors and elegance”.

Asked what it meant to him, Ascione says the main objective of these awards is to motivate to reach higher levels.

“They help to educate the public and the industry about what is going on architecturally. Their importance lies in the awareness they raise.”