Farsons Old Brewhouse and Trident Park Malta
Ian Ritchie Architects’ design for the rehabilitation and conversion of Farsons’ Old Brewhouse in Mrieħel represents an important milestone in the history of the magnificent Art Deco style building, and pioneers the showcasing of Malta’s industrial heritage. It received unanimous approval by the Maltese Planning Authority after it was presented by iRAL with TBA Periti local architects and engineers in January 2017. The Trident Park new office development was approved unanimously by the Malta Planning Authority on 7th December 2017.
In line with the values and vision of Farsons, iRAL’s driving design philosophy for this project is to restore and renovate with sensitivity, retaining the integral and unique aesthetic qualities of the building and the surrounding built environment. The listed external fabric of the Old Brewhouse – including the original external steel framed glazing – will be preserved. So will internal spaces containing brewing machinery and equipment of special industrial heritage interest. These will provide a thematic backdrop throughout the development. Of particular interest are the existing brewery ‘Coppers’ which will form a centrepiece to the Visitor Experience.
Behind the listed and retained 200m long north frontage six new tranquil courtyards, inspired by Malta’s traditional walled gardens, will intersect seven new ultra-low-energy office buildings targeted at the best local and international companies. This ‘campus’ design will introduce state-of-the-art environmental technologies, including floor slab comfort cooling and opening windows.
The new offices and transformed Old Brewhouse will be connected directly to a multi-level car park via walkways at each office level.
The renaissance of the 7,000m2 Old Brewhouse will create a thriving and interactive series of multi-purpose spaces in which to work, play and relax for emerging and young companies, and for visitors to experience Farsons’ renowned hospitality.
The overall proposal for the Trident Park provides an exemplary model for large-scale commercial development in Malta, with an emphasis on not compromising the island’s skyline or historic sight-lines between Valletta and Mdina.
The development will be the template scheme for the Mriehel Master Plan (also completed by iRAL) and is already proving to be the catalyst for further high quality development in the area.
Louis Farrugia, Chairman, Simonds Farsons Cisk plc said: “We have been working on this vision to find new uses for our iconic buildings for many years and, although it is ambitious, we feel confident that the time is right for a quality development of this magnitude to happen, which will help transform the area and contribute to Malta’s economy by providing quality space which is aesthetically pleasing and environmentally sustainable.”
Ian Ritchie said: “Farsons have acted as both pioneers and guardians of Malta’s heritage and their significant investment in the architectural and landscape thinking behind this ambitious project should certainly enhance Malta’s burgeoning reputation as a centre for international business.”
