Developers of a new 33-storey tower in Paceville, incorporating innovative environment-friendly features, have submitted their plans to the Planning Authority.

The mixed-use tower will be located at the entrance to Paceville, close to the Intercontinental Hotel, and will replace a number of derelict villas at the corner of Triq Santu Wistin and Triq Sant Andrija in Paceville.

PX Lettings, the company behind the project says the design is inspired by the simplicity and stateliness of Malta’s Renaissance architecture.

It said, “This striking mono-material building is the result of a search for architectural purity and the elimination of all that is not essential. Incorporating innovative environment-friendly features, it strives to create a sense of identity.”

Paul Xuereb, the developer behind PX Lettings, said, “This is an exciting moment because after much discussion and a long design process we are now submitting the plans for a project we believe is a smart and sensitive answer to the contemporary challenges of Paceville’s development.”

The footprint of the multimillion project takes up 32 per cent of the site area – 1,100sqm of the available 3,400sqm, with the resulting plaza being accessible to the public.

The tower will include serviced apartments on its upper floors, a business centre in the lower part of the building, and ancillary retail and restaurant spaces to complement the public plaza.

Parking facilities will also be provided to cater for the development.

PX Lettings is working with 7478+ Christian Spiteri Architects, a partnership between a top international architecture firm based in Rotterdam and a prominent Maltese architectural firm.

They believe that a high rise in such a dense area is “a better choice than engulfing the site with a characterless, conventional block that would occupy the whole site area and leave no public open space”.

Architect Alessandro De Santis said, “The easier solution would have been for the owners to opt for a horizontally dense conventional development. But instead, they have gone for the most sustainable approach.”

“A high rise, in this specific site of the heavily urbanised location of Paceville, is the best way to preserve and improve public areas, liberating more land to create open space available to all.”

The developers say that the building tapers upwards to reduce shadowing. It features circular windows overlooking its extensive terraces, and completely does away with ornament and traditional double-skin cladding to present a strong, slim, sleek, and powerful silhouette.

The building shall tap into the latest technological advancements to ensure environmental sustainability and seeks to achieve the globally recognised LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

It is designed to perform within its environment, by placing all its service areas and cores on the south side to shield the habitable spaces against the harsh sun, while optimising the views of the Mediterranean Sea to the north.

“Malta is an incredibly beautiful island and we’re trying to rechannel this through the beauty of the building’s structural purity, while ensuring it is functional in terms of climate and use. We hope this ambitious project will become an important building for Malta.” Mr Spiteri said.

About PX Lettings

PX Lettings is an investment and property company with a focus on sustainable projects founded by Maltese entrepreneur Paul Xuereb.

The company owns the majority of the Hardrocks Business Park in Naxxar, a purpose-built multi-tenant industrial park comprising a modern business centre, warehousing and car parking facilities.

PX has also been involved in a number of other projects including Malta’s largest private photovoltaic farm in Mgarr as well as the Bramble Garlands, Ocean Heights and Orange Grove residential developments.

The company – which involves Mr Xuereb’s children, Matthew and Celine – has also been involved in environmental tree-planting initiatives and other community projects.