Nominations for this year’s Architectural Heritage Awards are now open to submissions.
The awards seek to encourage architectural excellence in a Maltese context by rewarding projects that seek to rehabilitate, restore and reuse old buildings. Set up by NGO Din L-Art Ħelwa and now in its 16th edition, the annual competition is supported each year by architects’ professional body, the Kamra tal-Periti.
Eligible projects will be considered in three categories:
- The regeneration of an area
- The adaptation of historical buildings to new uses
- The restoration and/or conservation of buildings.
An additional award introduced last year – the Judge Maurice Caruana Curran award – will be given to the best overall winner.
To be eligible for an award, projects must have been completed in the past year, up to October 1, 2021.
Projects can relate either to a single building, a complex of buildings, or to a historic urban environment or townscape. They can range in scale from small to large and should display a standard of work considered outstanding in a Maltese context.
AP Valletta won an award last year for their work at the Phoenicia Hotel spa. Photo: APSubmissions will be judged on the quality of the work carried out; the historic, cultural, educational and social relevance of the project; the preliminary research conducted; and the project’s aesthetic and visual merit.
Projects submitted will be judged by a four-person panel made up of:
- Former Din L-Art Ħelwa president Maria Grazia Cassar as chairperson
- Kamra tal-Periti representative Conrad Thake
- Din L-Art Ħelwa council member Joanna Spiteri Staines
- Perit and lecturer Anthony Mollicone
Applicants have until Friday, December 3 to apply. Submissions can be sent to Din L-Art Ħelwa offices at 133, Melita Street, Valletta.
Registration forms and more information about the awards are available from the Kamra tal-Periti or from the Din l-Art Ħelwa office. Applicants can also call 21220358/21225952 or email info@dinlarthelwa.org for more information.