Farsons Old Brewhouse and Trident Park, Malta

Ritchie*studio’s international competition-winning design for the restoration and transformation of the Farsons’ 7,000m2 Art Deco style Old Brewhouse and the creation of 15,000m2 of new low-rise buildings forming Trident Park in Mrieħel, Malta will provide thriving interactive multi-purpose spaces for international and emerging companies to work, play and relax, and for visitors to experience Farsons’ renowned hospitality in the Old Brewhouse. In addition there will be event and exhibition spaces, retail offerings and conference centre providing wonderful opportunities for a new business-social lifestyle for users in both the Old Brewhouse and Trident Park. The design approach to the Old Brewhouse enhances its setting, restores the entire building without losing its unique qualities, creates dramatic spaces through the interplay of colour, light and shade, and integrates it with the new business park by retaining the 200m long Art Deco colonnade. The concept is one based upon sharing facilities – roof top gardens and terraces, food and beverage spaces, small and large workspaces. It is underpinned by an imaginative design that is commercially viable and sensitive to its surroundings. Trident Park is inspired by the Knight Templars’ palaces courtyard gardens and the climate and their environmental qualities and an ambition to limit the use of air-conditioning. The plan consists of seven state-of-the art low-rise buildings with east + west facing opening windows and extensive colour inspired landscaped courtyards, and direct access at each floor level to shared outdoor circulation removing the need for internal stairs and lifts. This will result in people interacting while delivering high nett lettable (>95%) spacious interiors. The design optimizes natural lighting, ventilation, solar shading, reduced carbon footprint, and will provide an efficient and unique working environment. It has been designed to achieve BREEAM Excellent certification. The ethos of this unique redevelopment is to create a genuine green office campus and world-class business destination. Only 43% of the project’s plot area will be built upon with landscaping and open spaces given priority. One of the project’s most unique environmental features is the TABS (thermally active building systems) which addresses the southern Mediterranean climate. This cools the floors of the building, eliminating the need for air-conditioning reducing the carbon footprint by 40%. 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.” ritchie*studio is delivering the client’s objectives by providing an ambitious and creative scheme that enhances the potential of the historic structures. A testament to ritchie*studio’s design imagination and effective communications is that the scheme received unanimous approval by the Maltese Planning Authority and its construction is being avidly followed by the Maltese press.