Archinect - News

First look at Zaha Hadid Architects' Mercury Tower redevelopment in St. Julian's, Malta

2018-08-06T15:14:00-04:00

Zaha Hadid Architects recently revealed their design for the new Mercury Tower development in the bustling Paceville district in St. Julian's, Malta. In response to Malta's growing tourism and hospitality industry, the project involves the renovation and redevelopment of the historic Mercury House site, which had been derelict for over 20 years.

The refurbishment of the Mercury House includes the preservation of its remaining facades that date back to 1903, as well as the reinstatement of its remaining historic interiors as gathering spaces for the new residential apartments and boutique hotel. The site also includes two underground vaults created during the Cold War.

Rendering by VA.

With the Mercury House at its base, the project's new developments emerge from behind the house so that it can remain as a focal point. The developments include a large public piazza surrounded by cafes and shops, and most noticeably, a new 31-story apartment and hotel tower.

Main piazza. Rendering by ...

Passage: an architectural intervention to span the Mediterranean Sea

2015-09-10T17:53:00-04:00

Last year, the group 1W1P – 1Week1Project – created the memorable speculative project "The Qatar World Cup Memorial," a "scalable building that raises awareness about the number of workers who died during the construction of the stadiums for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar."

Now, the collaborative duo of Axel de Stampa and Sylvain Macaux are back with another provocative project – this one just as timely, and a little closer to home for the French architects. Entitled "Passage," the project envisions a megastructure-like intervention that spans the Mediterranean, bridging the northern and southern shores and, in the process, the geopolitical and economic borders that distinguish them.

"Crossing the Mediterranean is one of the most perilous journeys for the migrants seeking sanctuary in Europe," they state in the project brief. With reference to Operation Triton, the border security operation led by Frontext (the EU's joint border agency), 1W1P invokes the ongoing migrant crisis in Europe ...