Scope | Issue 144
Casa Bottega, Valletta, Malta
馬爾他瓦萊塔 寶緹嘉之家
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克里斯.布里法建築事務所
Chris Briffa Architects
Scope | Issue 144
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克里斯.布里法建築事務所
Chris Briffa Architects
After purchasing the property, budget was lacking, and subsequently the first phase involved restoring the building to its original design, save a giant skylight in the sala nobile. While the lower levels embrace the existing structure and features such as tiles, apertures and textures, the penthouse is a contemporary counterpart, defined by contrasts between soft and hard materials, light and shade, solids and voids.
The ground floor, with its vaulted entrance, acts as the main reception cum gallery, whilst the arched basement is used as a model/prototyping workshop. With the construction of the upper levels, a lift enclosed in a steel and wired glass cage was placed within the courtyard, framing composed views as you ascend. The first floor contains the studio, the second floor acts as buffer zone. With this being between office and home, formal and informal are catered for. The concrete slab in the sala nobile is thus able to withstand a dance party of thirty people in motion. It is a space without strict function, an architectural library and a music room, a home theatre and a presentation facility, a place for power naps and late night chats.
The new extension sits on two pre-cast concrete beams, which shift the entire weight of the penthouse onto the side party-walls, thus freeing the house from any additional load. Their inclusion was central to the transformation, but with it came various concerns. Cost aside, they were especially difficult to transport and install on a restricted site, surrounded by historic buildings and narrow streets. Considering their narrow, ribbed form, they were also not easy to design in terms of structural proportions and external skin.
The master bedroom’s continuous, low window is sensitive to mood, with morning light bouncing off the oak floors, and a ten-metre long line of cacti, you are compelled to look outwards, whether in bed or taking a shower. The penthouse above the bustle of the street feels expansive, liberating. The folding living room doors pack up in a steel-unit which blurs the line between interior and exterior. Natural light fills the entire space from every wall, foliage and trees frame the roof top views, with both harbours beyond.
Principal Architects:Chris Briffa
Structural Engineering:Ivan Muscat
Contractor:Lime Building Products Ltd, SAW Ltd, J. Lautier
Character of Space:Home and architectural studio
Total Floor Area:451㎡
Building Area:473㎡
Principal Materials:Concrete, Oak parquet, Traditional Tiles, Timber
Principal Structure:limestone blockwork, precast concrete beams
Photos:Aldo Amoretti.Hanna Briffa
Text:Chris Briffa Architects
Collator:Katrina Wong
主要建築師:克里斯.布里法
結構工程:Ivan Muscat
施工單位:Lime Building Products Ltd, SAW Ltd, J. Lautier
空間性質:家庭和建築工作室
空間面積:451平方公尺
建築面積:473平方公尺
主要建材:混凝土.橡木鑲木地板.傳統瓷磚.木材
主要結構:石灰石砌塊.預製混凝土梁
影像:阿爾多.阿莫雷蒂 漢娜.布里法
文字:克里斯.布里法建築事務所
整理:黃瑋靖
Chris Briffa Architects
克里斯.布里法建築事務所