A new publication detailing the rich history and innovative transformation of the iconic Farsons brewery was launched on Tuesday evening with a discussion between leading architects on the project and the state of architecture in Malta.  

Published by the UK-based publishing house Unicorn, the book, titled Renewal Architects: The Transformation of Farsons Brewery Malta, offers new insights into the design philosophy behind both The Brewhouse and Trident Park projects, both of which are also being inaugurated this week.

The two Farsons Group projects have transformed a key 20th-century industrial site into a green office campus and business destination. 

Architectural works were spearheaded by ritchie*studio, led by renowned architect Ian Ritchie, in collaboration with Alex Torpiano's engineering-focused Maltese practice TBA Periti, and environmental physicist Doug King.

Renowned architect Ian Ritchie was among the panellists.

Architects drew inspiration from Maltese palace gardens and the island's vernacular buildings when transforming the Art Deco site. 

In an opening address, Farsons Group Chairman Louis A. Farrugia praised the project as “a masterpiece of form, light, shade, sustainability, and environmental engineering”. 

Farrugia said he believed the Brewhouse and Trident Park have “set a new standard for future projects to aspire to.” 

Leading architect Richard England introduced the event with high praise for the project. 

“It’s a long time since I visited a building in Malta which made me smile, today I really did smile,” he said.   

England said the low-lying Trident Park building and regenerated 1950s Farsons brewery - an iconic example of an early reinforced concrete industrial structure - are powerful antidotes to Malta’s current trend towards high-rise structures. 

Ritchie, who has worked on world-famous projects including; The Louvre Pyramids and Sculpture Courts and La Villette Science City in Paris, The Reina Sofia Museum of Modern Art in Madrid and the Dublin Spire, said one of the major challenges of regenerating the original site was not knowing what lay beneath the surface of its concrete structures.  

The book launched on Tuesday not only celebrates the history of the site, Ritchie said, but also the journey of reimaging and reinventing the space.  

Other speakers included academic, architect and TBA Periti director Alex Torpiano, Michael Farrugia, director of SFC plc and Trident Estates plc, who led the transformative projects of The Brewhouse and Trident Park, and engineer, physicist and innovator Doug King. 

The discussion was moderated by Paul Finch OBE, Founder and Programme Director of the World Architecture Festival, and former editor of the Architects' Journal and Architectural Review. 

Renewal Architects: The Transformation of Farsons Brewery Malta is available at the Farsons Brand Store for €40.