25 - 31 May 2000

Portomaso: Malta's exclusive waterfront address

by Anthony Manduca

I walked up the landscaped Hilton Boulevard towards the new Hilton Hotel below the shadow of the imposing Portomaso tower and appreciated the importance of this landmark on this unique development.

Flanked on one side by the Plaza leading to the Business and Convention Centre, and by the apartment buildings on the other side, the boulevard effectively provides the dominant entrance gateway to the new Hilton.

Architect Edward Bencini met me below the tower and led me to the belvedere overlooking the new marina. Looking around, he recalled how nearly 10 years ago the Tumas Group asked him to prepare design proposals to increase the bedroom capacity of the existing Hilton Hotel and to develop a commercial building on the grounds overlooking Church Street. He explained how he was immediately captivated by the potential of the site.

The Hilton Hotel then occupied the centre of the site with surrounding gardens and abandoned wasteland beyond. Mr Bencini explained how he put together a bold and daring concept proposal to demolish the hotel, replacing it at the centre of the site by lavishly landscaped gardens and abundant water features.

He proposed to rebuild the hotel at the north-west corner of the site with a business tower and a convention centre alongside the hotel near Church Street. The zone south of the central landscaped area was designated for construction of residential units, all enjoying views of the sea and the landscaped gardens.

That was the start of the adventure which is materialising into what is surely one of the most challenging architectural developments in Malta since the times of the Knights.

His clients were immediately intrigued by these challenging and innovative ideas. These concepts fulfilled the expectations of Tumas Fenech who, with an eye for the right property had purchased the Hilton Hotel and grounds some years before, at a time when tourism in Malta was facing a major crisis.

Since then, Mr Bencini, who together with Ray Demicoli, was assigned the responsibility to develop the architectural design proposals, never looked back.

Nevertheless, although ideas flowed freely, getting these approved by the authorities was not easy. Assessment by the Planning Authorities took its time, with what often appeared to be insurmountable objections often raised, and with mountainous tasks and studies required to be carried out before construction permits were finally issued in 1996.

Considerable effort was spent to ensure the integration of the whole scheme within its surroundings such as the one way traffic loop passing over the Hilton grounds and connecting up with Spinola Road, the 1.2 kilometre long public promenade all around the coast and the marina, road improvements such as the traffic lights at the regional road junction, and several others.

Now, with the redevelopment scheme taking shape like the phoenix rising out of the ashes of the old Hilton, all those difficult negotiations are forgotten.

The placing of the new Hilton to the northern side of the large site thus opening up the central portion of the land for the yacht marina; the inclusion of a convention and business centre nearby connected to the hotel with a landmark office tower overlooking the marina and the sea like a navigational beacon; the apartments following the curves of the marina all overlooking the pedestrianised waterfront; the integrated landscaping schemes; the hidden underground parking; all these concepts have come together to produce a uniquely beautiful and thoroughly well designed, integrated and detailed waterfront village.

Walking with me around the site Mr Bencini explained how the water taxi basin was extended below the hotel reception area providing direct access from the hotel to the marina level and enabling any hotel guest to take a water taxi to dine out at St Julian's or elsewhere.

Walking around the hotel, he showed how these areas relate to the immediacy of the waterfront, and I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the relationship of the marvellous internal spaces to the external views of the beautifully landscaped gardens, the marina and the coast.

Each hotel bedroom enjoys undisturbed views of the sea or the marina. Some rooms are close to the activity at the marina level, others at an intermediate level are provided with a landscaped garden between the balconies and the marina views, others overlook the pools and the landscaped gardens with the Dragonara and the merkanti reef beyond and others at the upper levels enjoy marvellous panoramic views of a larger part of the development and the coast.

Mr Bencini explained how the whole project was designed as one concept with each individual building forming an integral part. He accompanied me up to the 22nd floor of Portomaso tower and once up there I could not help but appreciate the 360 degree panorama which shows so much of what is beautiful, and what is less beautiful in Malta.

From this vantage point I asked him to point out other projects he has worked on in the past and will be working on in the future.

He indicated sites near to various developments executed by his architectural partnership "Raniolo and Bencini", such as the "Imgarr Hotel" in Gozo which we had a clear view of, the nearby "Baypoint Radisson Hotel" at the tip of St George's Bay, "Busietta Gardens" below Madliena ridge, the "tunnels" project at Tal-Qroqq, the "Malta Financial Services Centre" at Imriehel.

He pointed out the northern coast and referred to a residential village which he is now designing for a large site at Mellieha which is a project very close to his heart, and which again offers the opportunity to design the buildings around and within the landscaping as one whole concept.

Mr Bencini then looked beyond Valletta towards Cottonera which is the focus of his next major project, the Cottonera project, which "Raniolo and Bencini" are designing jointly with "Cassar, Grech & Ebejer". Mr Bencini believes Portomaso will be a trend setter for other large projects in Malta in the coming years.

A trend that will now carry on with the development of Manoel Island, the Cottonera project, the Cruiser Terminal project, and an array of other projects that will take off in the Grand Harbour and in other presently neglected areas. He showed me a photo of the award by "Jaguar Homes International" to Portomaso in the "Eiekt International Marina section" and said, "we're extremely proud of this award and we are sure that other Maltese architects and developers will achieve similar international awards in the coming years".

Looking at his elder son Kevin, a newly graduated architect he said: "With reinforcements on my side I look forward to the coming challenges with even greater optimism, and it is great to know that my wife Nathalie, and my other two children Mark and Suzanne are all fully appreciative of the time and efforts that these large projects take away from them, especially when they see the finished products."