In the 18th century, the 65th Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of St John, Fra’ Marc’Antonio Zondadari, embarked on a mission to turn Cospicua into a thriving city. Three centuries later, inspired by Zondadari’s vision, plans are being hatched at a new boutique hotel to raise Città Cospicua’s profile as a centre of culture through art projects in the community. As the newly-renovated and redesigned BOCO Boutique reopens its doors, Times of Malta talks to proprietor, and man on a mission, Anthony Busuttil about his ambitions for Cospicua.

Can you tell us about the history of Cospicua, where BOCO Boutique is located?

Boco Boutique is situated around 200 metres from the Dock One area and the medieval centre of the town. The medieval name of the town is Bormla, derived from the original Phoenician word burmula, meaning ‘higher than the surroundings’.

The façade of the boutique hotel with the statement ‘Creativity is the way I share my soul with the world’.

Indeed, the house overlooks the town with magnificent views across Grand Harbour and to Valletta, and even Mdina, the old capital city of Malta, is visible from the penthouse. Both Valletta and Mdina are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The Great Siege in 1565 saw the Maltese knights’ tumultuous victory over the Ottomans and the construction of Valletta started a year afterwards, to build an impregnable fortress city. The knights then moved from the Three Cities to Valletta and set up their auberges there, and Valletta became the new seat and capital.

Yet the Three Cities retain their charm as the oldest towns of Malta with their intricate alleys, yet also adorned with wide open spaces and piazzas. In memory of this victory, the other two (of the three) cities were re-named: Birgu declared Città Vittoriosa and Sengea declared Città Invicta. Yet Bormla, the largest of The Three Cities lay in their shadows.

The Sovereign Order of St John’s 65th Grand Master, Fra’ Marc’Antonio Zondadari recognised this injustice, and in 1722 declared Bormla also a city and named it Città Cospicua. Zondadari’s wish was that Bormla grew and thrived to become a truly conspicuous city. Yet Grand Master Zodadari’s vision lay unfulfilled for almost three centuries. It is only now in the 21st century that we are seeing Cospicua rising like a phoenix.

Guests at networking reception including minister José Herrera, pictured with BOCO-man torso by artist Matthew Micallef.

How did you come up with the name BOCO Boutique?

The name BOCO was formulated using the first two letters of both Bormla and Cospicua; Bormla becoming Cospicua… BOCO. The name fuses historical and contemporary, to transform the historical Bormla into Zondadari’s Cospicua,

And as the name implies, this is what the spirit of BOCO is all about. It signifies a journey of progress, both in terms of capital expense improvement, together with a fair share of flair and imagination ‒ but also that of growth of spirit, character and going the extra mile. In spite of the present difficult circumstances, the team’s vision is for BOCO to be exemplary in Cospicua, the Three Cities and in Malta.

Anthony Busuttil, proprietor of BOCO Boutique.

You refer to the ‘spirit of BOCO,’ can you explain what this means?

The Spirit of BOCO signifies the transformation process of development in its various facets. A prime example of the material aspect is the restoration of the old town house into the beautiful art hotel that BOCO Boutique now is. Likewise, this can be done by upgrading public areas, with the introduction of imaginative and interactive street art, which might also incorporate key value messages. The altruistic aim is to help in the continuation of the regeneration of Cospicua, Cottonera and Malta.

How is the spirit of BOCO reflected in the interior design and artwork of the hotel?

The visual art at BOCO Boutique primarily revolves around the fictitious BOCO-man character, born in the bowels of the underground and oldest part of the house 400 years ago. Art installations follow his ascendance as he pushes himself out from darkness into the light – which is also reflected in the colour of the steps, which range from black at basement level, to shades of grey, to the top one in white. He also has the means to continue climbing up via the BOCO-tree, to continue his journey into the future.

A copper installation mimics BOCO-man’s old luggage case (his roots, his past and his strong values) yet he is always forward-looking in his evolution, materially and spiritually. The personification of the ‘Spirit of BOCO’ is so advanced now that the vision and the medium are fused harmoniously as one. The art exudes a sense of peace and tranquillity. It is not a frenzied rush. It is a feeling of doing things the proper way, of forging a way forward in spite of the hardships that life invariably throws at us.

What was the original vision of Grand Master Fra’ Marc’Antonio Zondadari  for Cospicua and how do you envisage bringing it to life?

Zondadari’s vision was to ascend Bormla to a strong and beautiful Cospicua. Respecting our heritage for tomorrow’s vision, Boco Boutique pledges to help attain Zondadari’s dream. The decor of the house respects and honours this ascendence of the old Bormla into the new Cospicua. A multitude of art pieces and installations adorn the house, not only preserving the traditional inherited richness but also ascending to the vision of this ambitious project.

BOCO-man torso by artist Matthew Micallef.

We can help achieve his vision by the introduction of community street art projects whereby residents and businesses will be invited to contribute towards a better sense of belonging and to diffuse growth more homogeneously, to maintain parks, recreation facilities, streets, buildings and other infrastructure to meet high standards of condition and appearance. Imaginative street art can be used to pass on core messages, becoming attractions for visitors in the process. This, in turn, can fuel businesses to thrive better, making for a more prosperous Cospicua. 

In terms of enriching the local area, what are BOCO’s aims and ambitions?

To truly achieve Grand Master Fra’ Marc’Antonio Zondadari’s vision and to create opportunities which foster a better sense of proud ownership for its inhabitants and businesses.

The Spirit of BOCO will initially focus on street art projects … these can educate, retain values and strengthen the sense of community and pride in being Bormlese, and create new attractions

The hope is that all enjoy contributing to and being part of the Cospicua community, so that the town grows into a thriving centre of attraction, both for locals and foreign visitors and a truly desirable place to live, work and raise a family. If we promote and improve Cospicua as a premier location for existing, expanding and new businesses, we can establish it as a centre of excellence, where the existing old and beautiful buildings are also enhanced by street art and installations. These can educate, retain values and strengthen the sense of community and pride in being ‘Bormlese’.

The longer-term aim is to help strengthen the tourism and cultural offering of The Three Cities, and prepare for the upcoming 300-year anniversary in 2022 of when the title Città Cospicua was actually bestowed upon Bormla in 1722. Any endeavours to liven up the allure of historical Cospicua will promote investment and pride for the benefit of society at large, so that a growing business community chooses to invest further in this town and area.

The courtyard with Pink Sail and Popcorn (on the altar), both by artist Rune Bo Jakobsen.

What do you hope to achieve with the community projects you have in mind?

The ultimate aim is to integrate better all facets of the population, discover latent talent and help give scope, particularly to those who feel suppressed. Examples can be those with addictions, or who have lacked a proper education or an ideal family background. The Spirit of BOCO will initially focus on street art projects to educate with key messages, to diffuse street art not only on the waterfront but throughout the town  and to create new attractions.

How do you plan to go about these ambitious plans?

To achieve this, the help and commitment of the authorities are required: namely the local council, central government, various ministries and other government entities, the parish church, the local business community and other organisations, such as band clubs and sports clubs, as well as the inhabitants of Cospicua.

Let us hope that in this fashion the necessary funds can also be raised, as well as overcoming the bureaucratic aspect of kick-starting this ambitious project.

Most importantly, of course, would be the involvement and enthusiasm of the arts community: the Arts Council, artists, students, schools and colleges, as only they can ultimately translate ideas into reality. This would then evolve into actual designs and detailing, and with the delegation of tasks to volunteers as necessary.

How have you gone about reaching out to people so far?

On the occasion of the recent re-opening of BOCO Boutique on July 16, the BOCO team hosted a networking reception and showed guests around the boutique art hotel and the quirky art installations which adorn the house. The event also provided an opportunity for guests to discuss their own ideas with the BOCO management team on how the spirit of BOCO can be extended beyond the hotel walls.

Among the guests were José Herrera, Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government; Chris Agius, Parliamentary Secretary for Lands and Construction; Alison Zerafa Civelli, the mayor of Cospicua, along with Martin Vella and Johann Scerri from the local council; and Gavin Gulia, chairperson of the Malta Tourism Authority, who, interestingly, was born in the BOCO Boutique building.

Also present were Fleur Gulia; Graham Busuttil, the ceputy chairperson of Heritage Malta and his wife; Francis Zammit Dimech; Rev. Anton Cassar, parish priest of the Immaculate Conception church in Cospicua; Reuben Sciberras and Carmen Gatt attended on behalf of Julia Farrugia Portelli, Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection; along with other distinguished government officials, neighbours and friends.

What would you like to say to potential stakeholders, or indeed anyone interested in being part of your plans?

Being committed to the regeneration of Cospicua and the Cottonera area, I am willing to explore all avenues and work hand in hand and align with others’ thoughts and ideas. All interested parties who embrace this same passion and want to be part of, or contribute to, The Spirit of BOCO, are encouraged to contact me to think-tank together, to establish a clearer vision and plot the best way forward. The stigma associated with Cospicua needs to be not only reversed but for the town to gain ground to its former glory, as it was at its apex around a century ago in the splendid Art Deco era, and when Cospicua was the place to be seen. 

Tony Busuttil can be contacted at tony@bocoboutique.com or on 99475841. BOCO Boutique is located at 65, Oratory Street, Cospicua, CSP00.

For more information, visit www.bocoboutique.com.