Owners of the iconic Villa Rosa have announced plans for a new public open space overlooking St George’s Bay that will be bigger than Triton Square and will be the largest public square in St Julian’s. 

The piazza is part of a wider development entitled Antori which has been entrusted to world-renowned architecture firm UNStudio, known for sustainable and innovative designs that integrate seamlessly with their surroundings. 

The Villa Rosa palazzo and surrounding gardens will be retained unblemished, while the rest of the surrounding areas will be embellished to create a more cohesive offering. 

The privately-owned 50,000 sqm site - which currently includes several bars, restaurants, shops and hotels - has a rich history of serving the commercial needs of St Julian’s, and will now be transformed into a distinctive landmark that is dedicated to tourism, sustainable design and safe public access.

The open space consists of an expansive 11,000 sqm terraced piazza that will be fully open to the public, and an additional 18,000 sqm gardens. Separating these two areas will be a landscaped service road that will mitigate traffic impact, 

“Our new plans for the site show significant improvements from the original plans which were approved by the Planning Authority in 2018. Only 41% of the area will be built up, with the remaining 29,459 sqm dedicated to open space,” said a project spokesperson.

The project will also feature two iconic high-rise towers that will frame Villa Rosa, the surrounding gardens, and the public piazza, and will integrate with the various high-rise projects being designed and built for the island’s entertainment hub. 

Unlike the previous plans for the site, this project will not include any residential units, but will instead feature hotels and branded serviced apartments for short-term stays.

“Instead of building residential units around the bay, we plan to invest in elevating Malta’s tourism product by creating a cohesive and iconic landmark that is dedicated to high quality tourism,” said the spokesperson.

Unlike the previous plans for the site, this project will not include any residential units, but will instead feature hotels and branded serviced apartments for short-term stays.

This project will be a green building that has LEED Certification, further demonstrating the team's commitment to sustainability. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification is a rigorous program that recognises buildings that are designed, constructed, and operated with sustainability in mind.

The LEED certification process involves a thorough review of a building's design and construction, as well as ongoing monitoring and maintenance to ensure that the building continues to meet the LEED standards over time.

UNStudio is dedicated to sustainable design and has an impressive portfolio of award-winning projects, such as the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Germany, the Arnhem Central Station in the Netherlands, and the Raffles City Hangzhou in China.