Planning Authority issues emergency conservation for three ‘heritage at risk’ properties

The Planning Authority has issued Emergency Conservation Orders (ECO) for the immediate protection of three properties; Palazzina Vincenti in St Julians and two vernacular properties in Qala, which it termed as “heritage at risk”.

Built straight after the Second World War, Palazzina Vincenti is a pioneering example of mod-ernist architecture where the experimental use of reinforced concrete for domestic purposes was introduced. The Palazzina was built by one of Malta’s most prominent architects of the first half of the 20th century, Gustavo Romeo Vincenti. The property, which served as his resi-dence up until his death in 1974, is one of the best modernist examples on the Island, whereby Vincenti’s mastery play with the circle and square geometric shapes is taken to an unprece-dented dimension with protruding forms and sculpted spaces.

The ECO has been issued in light that that a development application has been submitted to the Planning Authority with the intention of demolishing the property. This application has ren-dered the property at risk with the irreversible loss of Malta’s cultural heritage. For this pur-pose, the property is being regarded as Grade 1 scheduled property by virtue of its historical, architectural, and contextual values.

This was not the only property Vincenti designed in the Sliema - St Julian’s area. He had a pri-vate summer residence further up Triq Ġorg Borg Olivier which was built in the Art Nouveau style, and he was also the designer of another scheduled house in Triq Sir Adrian Dingli, Slie-ma.  Vincenti is perhaps most known for “Vincenti Buildings”, a scheduled building which re-placed the “Forni della Signoria” in Triq id-Dejqa, Valletta.

In Gozo, the PA issued an Emergency Conservation Order (ECO) on two vernacular properties in Triq Wied is-Simar, Qala.  The Authority believes that these 2-storey properties, that are of ev-ident antiquity and cultural heritage value are at risk, especially given that a planning applica-tion has been submitted proposing the demolition of one of the properties. Under this order, the properties carry a Grade 2 Protection status.   

Both properties carry typical traditional rural vernacular architectural characteristics including a minimal number of apertures on the façade with small proportions. The buildings are roofed over with a plain cornice and devoid of a ‘parapet’ wall.

The ECOs which have a one-year validity period will enable the Authority, in collaboration with the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage, to carry out a full and thorough assessment of the buildings to determine the long-term level of protection the properties merit.   

The ECOs also oblige the owners of the properties to ensure that the buildings do not incur any further damage and that their upkeep and maintenance shall be exclusively their responsibility by means of a continuous maintenance programme.