馬爾他瓦萊塔 寶緹嘉之家

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.
建築師購買這處房產後,由於預算不足,隨後的第一階段是將建築回歸原來的設計,保存在sala nobile的一個巨大天窗。雖然較低的樓層包含原設計的結構和特徵,如瓷磚、孔隙和紋理,但頂層公寓是相對當代的,且由軟硬材料、明暗、虛實之間的對比定義。
地面層的拱形入口是主要的接待處與畫廊,而拱形地下室則是製作模型、發展草模的工作室。隨著上層建築的的工程進行,一個由鋼鐵和夾網玻璃籠圍成的電梯也被安置在院子裡,在搭乘電梯緩緩上升時可以一邊欣賞玻璃框外的風景。一樓空間中包含工作室,二樓則是緩衝區;這介於辦公與家庭之間,滿足了正式與非正式用途。因此,sala nobile的混凝土板能夠承受三十人的舞會。sala nobile是一個無功能限制的空間,它可以是一個建築圖書館和音樂室、一個家庭劇院和簡報區,或是一個小睡充電與夜聊地方。
新的擴建部分位於兩根預製混凝土樑上,將頂樓的全部重量轉移到側牆上,從而使建築擺脫額外的負擔。雖然這兩根混凝土樑是改造的核心,但隨著它們所帶來的優勢,各種顧慮也一併出現。撇開成本不談,在一個被歷史建築與狹窄街道所包圍的有限場域,如何運輸及安裝它們成了一大難題。此外,考慮到其狹窄的肋骨型態,它們在結構比例與外觀樣式設計也受到許多挑戰。
主臥室連綿的矮窗能夠敏銳地反映外面的氛圍,晨光反射在橡木地板上,還有一排十米長的仙人掌,無論是在床上還是在淋浴時,都讓人不禁將目光移向窗外。位於繁華街道之上的頂層公寓讓人感覺開闊、自由。折疊式客廳門裝在一個鋼製單元中,模糊了內部和外部的界限。同時,自然光從每一面牆、葉片和樹木中穿透並填滿了整個空間,構成了屋頂所見的景色,與遠處的兩個港口相互輝映。









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
Besides overseeing hospitality, residential and public projects locally, the award-winning studio is currently engaged with a number of international projects, and is committed to its involvement in the organisation of workshops and exhibitions aimed at raising design awareness across Malta and Gozo.
Chris studied at Virginia Tech (USA) and Politecnico di Milano (Italy) and is a graduate of the University of Malta, where he has since tutored hundreds of students within the Faculty of the Built Environment. He currently resides in Valletta with his wife Hanna and their three children.