A controversial hotel proposed for the Birkirkara square would compromise the value of a unique historical feature, the muxrabija, found on the site to be developed, an architect has warned.

Research by architect and civil engineer Kurt Sammut Alessi has been filed in a detailed objection to the application that seeks to turn a Grade 2 palazzo with a garden into a four-storey, 38-room hotel in the heart of the village core, adjacent to St Helen’s Basilica, itself a scheduled Grade 1 building.

The site has the only scheduled muxrabija, a window-like architectural element, in Birkirkara and, so far, this enjoyed the view of the entire square without being seen.

The historical tower and muxrabija, a rare Mediterranean feature dating back to the Arab era, were also visible from the square of Sant’ Elena, Sammut Alessi highlighted.

The proposed development PA 04850/23 would destroy the “essential visual link” between the muxrabija on the palazzo’s tower and the traditional piazza, resulting in its complete loss of value, he said. “Historical links are also present as visual links.

This also relates to how the scheduled building is related to everything else around it.” The massing and the design in this development would sever this link, which was meant to be preserved.

Only 36 of Malta’s unique Arabic windows are known to exist on the island, and this vernacular heritage could soon become extinct due to the small number of surviving examples.

This was a rarity in the Urban Conservation Area (UCA), Sammut Alessi said, adding that the proposed development would be detrimental to the area due to its insensitivity and visual impact.

St Helen’s parish church and the Birkirkara square in the 1800s, with Vincenzo Borg Brared’s property highlighted to its right.

The muxrabija was designed as a security measure to spy on the piazza without being noticed, the architect explained. It was used to observe trade and people’s movements.

“This makes perfect sense, given the historical connotations of the original owner of the property in question, Vincenzo Borg, a Maltese merchant known as ‘Brared’, and his role against the French occupation in 1798,” Sammut Alessi continued.

The architect is among the many objectors to the proposal, including residents, environment NGOs and the Church, listing a spate of policies that the planning application breaches.

“I feel that preserving the historic value of our UCAs is essential to keep the Maltese identity alive, the historic element, as well as the touristic value of the country,” he said in an appeal to the public to submit their objections.

The case of the corner property at 83/84, Triq Santu Rokku, Triq Mike Pulis, is awaiting a recommendation.

Apart from the restoration of the existing palazzo to house 10 hotel rooms, it also involves the construction of a pool and an extension in one of the few gardens left in Birkirkara’s UCA for a restaurant and 28 overlying rooms on four floors.

The applicant is E&TM Company Ltd, and the architect is listed as Karl Ebejer.

But the modern architectural language of the proposed hotel was considered insensitive and disfigured the context of the 18th-century façades of the basilica and other properties in the square, according to objectors.

It did not blend with the townscape’s configuration and heavily impacted the development skyline, “sticking out like a sore thumb”.

The historical tower and muxrabija, both visible from St Helen square, are a rare Mediterranean feature dating back to the Arab era.

A safe window to the outside world?

The muxrabija, from the Arabic mashrabiya (peep-box), is a typical element of vernacular Maltese architecture, and one of only two that originate directly from Arab culture.

It is usually made of timber, but in some cases out of stone, which is even rarer. This meant its setting should be preserved and enhanced, according to the publication Ir-Razzett – The Maltese Farmhouse, written by Carol Jaccarini.

Also known as ‘in-nemmiesa’, ‘il-kixxiefa’ in Gozo or ‘il-glusija’ from the French word for ‘jealousy’, the muxrabija was developed around the Middle East and North Africa, mainly to cool buildings by allowing the breeze to circulate through the trelliswork.

It also served as a “safe window to the outside world for women”, according to Jaccarini.

In Maltese architecture, the earliest version of the muxrabija dates to the late Middle Ages (1300-1400), but the tradition could go back to Malta’s Islamic past, which lasted till the middle of the 13th century.

In 2016, the Planning Authority scheduled, with Grade 2 protection, the few properties that incorporate this feature in their façades.

The application for the hotel sparked debate among residents, with representations in opposition to the plans flowing in. Prime Minister Robert Abela also weighed in on the proposal, implying that he believed the proposal should be rejected, saying certain applications should not even be submitted and entertained by planners.