Ursulino Valletta

Valletta, Malta

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Ursulino Valletta

Valletta, Malta

Firm

CVCarchitecture

Type

Hospitality + Sport › Hotel

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2015

The property is located opposite the convent of the Ursuline nuns in St. Ursula Street, Valletta, a narrow, quiet residential road. The streetscape is made up of a mix of typical townhouses, palazzos and period apartments varying in condition, some old and dilapidated whilst others recently restored. This development aims to contribute to the ongoing regeneration of Valletta, through the rehabilitation of an old townhouse by converting it into a luxury guesthouse and subsequently attracting high-end tourists to the city.

The Existing property#

Characteristics

The property was previously used as a private residence and was found to be in a poor, albeit habitable state. The building is a typical Valletta townhouse built over three floors, mainly in limestone blockwork and roofed with embedded steel joists and flagstones (xorok). It is characterized by an attractive staircase that winds its way up through the centre of the building. Several modifications and accretions were added to the building over the years. Primarily these consisted of the addition of structures, both in timber/asbestos and reinforced concrete within the central courtyard and rear yard.

History

Until recently the house was occupied by its longtime owners. It was reportedly struck during the war and suffered considerable damage. Due to the vertical nature of the house, over the years, the house became more inconvenient and impractical for the aging owners to use. As is common in houses of this type, the impractical layout of the dwelling leads to a gradual deterioration of the building fabric due to lack of use and subsequently the maintenance of the building.

Condition

The house was severely lacking in maintenance. Exposed roofs, as well as some internal ceilings, were subjected to water damage, thus had to be replaced. The electrical system in place was dated and only partially functioning. In general, the finishes were poor. Patterned tiles were severely worn, cracked or dislodged in most areas of the house. All sanitary ware and fixings were in poor condition. Large movement cracks were found on the upper floors, whilst the ground floor suffered from humidity issues.

Brief

The new owner of the building had been searching for a Valletta property to convert into a luxury guesthouse. 82a, St. Ursula Street was his preferred choice notwithstanding several challenges due to the layout of the building. His priority was to retain the feel and characteristic of a typical townhouse, yet give a contemporary touch through the use of finishes and furnishings whilst combining state of the art amenities and technology. The grand harbor open views visible from the upper floor and the roof level were to be exploited to their full potential.

Design Concepts and Project Realisation

In order to achieve the brief set out by the client, the main design philosophy was set around retaining and restoring the main architectural fabric of the building. Therefore structural alterations were kept to a minimum and only carried out where deemed essential to adapt the layout of the building to the modern-day needs of such a guesthouse. The facade of the building remained untouched, only undergoing a light cleaning and restoration of the timber balcony, apertures, and railings.
Initially, all additional structures that were constructed within the courtyards were demolished, thus freeing up space in which to install a passenger lift. In order for the lift structure to fit in its allocated position, the original stone arches overlooking the courtyard had to be shifted by about half a meter. These were numbered, dismantled and re-constructed in the required position thus retaining the authenticity of the space. Other structural works entailed replacement of dangerous roofs which enabled the re-organization of the ceiling heights to accommodate lightweight mezzanine structures. Furthermore, an existing receded floor at the roof level was extended to create a breakfast room that serves the guesthouse.
At ground floor level, the imposing entrance with its original stonework was cleaned from all accretions and painted in a dark tone, whilst a complimentary calacatino marble floor was laid down, creating an elegant and welcoming reception space. The area that previously contained a kitchenette was hidden behind oak paneling housing a staff bathroom, and a small back-of-house area where all services required for the administration of the guesthouse care routed. This same oak paneling is used in various other parts of the guesthouse, hiding service, and storage cupboards whilst at the same time creating a contrasting warm finish. The original stone staircase as well at the cast iron railing was meticulously restored and painted white, accentuating the purity of its form.
In general, the walls throughout the property were touched-up and painted, retaining their original texture and imperfections so typical of these townhouses. In certain areas, where it was decided to have a fair-faced or fuq il-fil finish, the walls were restored by removing cementitious plasters and raking out of cementitious mortar joints. Walls were then re-pointed using appropriate lime-based materials.
Although most of the original floors consisted of typical cement tiles, most of these were found to be in a poor condition or affected by inconsiderate alterations. A decision was taken to replace the floor tiles throughout the building. To remain true to the spirit of the place, custom made cement tile was designed that mimics the original, however introducing a contemporary twist through the use of monochromatic tones which also complements the branding concept of the guesthouse and ties all the various spaces, both public and private, of the building together.
To improve the accessibility throughout the guesthouse, of course, a lift had to be installed. A lightweight steel lift shaft was constructed within the central courtyard. Its dimensions were kept to a minimum, yet satisfying access for all requirements. The structure was clad in a sprayed steel grating, reminiscent of wrought iron structures of old, yet introducing formal linearity to the courtyard space. The intention was to create a contemporary object ‘inserted’ within a traditional courtyard to be read as an intervention in contrast to the fuq il-fil wall, the traditional arches, and timber apertures. Custom made steel ventilation louvers and other sprayed steel trims complement this concept throughout the building.
Within the guestrooms and suites, generally, the same concept was retained. The flagstone ceilings were cleaned or painted. Gypsum soffits conceal services only in areas strictly necessary, whilst the steel joists and timber beams were left exposed and illuminated as prominent architectural features. The palette of materials was carried through; the patterned tiles, oak cladding and furniture, black carpets and grey oversized headboards. In the smaller rooms, the shower was incorporated into the room in order to avoid dividing the space and thus maintaining the original proportions of the rooms. In the larger suites, a lightweight mezzanine steel structure was inserted into the volume, concealing bathrooms below and creating loft spaces above.
The extension at the roof level was architecturally treated in a different manner to the rest of the building. Conceptually, it had to be clear that the extension of the guesthouse is not part of the original townhouse but a modern intervention. Therefore a defined line indicates where the old building ends and the new begins. Large openings with ample use of glass, fair-faced concrete ceilings and floors and steel, and glass mezzanine structures drive this concept home.

Product Spec Sheet

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Team

Ian Critien

Architect

Andrea Vassallo Cesareo

Architect

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Ursulino Valletta

Valletta, Malta

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Ursulino Valletta

Valletta, Malta

Other Projects by CVCarchitecture

St. Julians Home

Town House & Garden revamp

Ursulino Valletta

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Collaborating Firms

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