Plans have been filed to demolish the Garden of Eden wedding hall in Żurrieq and redevelop the site into 14 single-storey bungalows, marking a major shift for a venue long associated with weddings.
The proposal, submitted by Baldacchino Holdings Ltd, includes the construction of a reception building and a new parking area. The built-up footprint will cover a footprint of 1,556 square metres, with pools and paved areas taking up another 2,302 square metres.
A further 1,778 square metres will be reserved for soft landscaping. Currently, the built-up footprint on the site stands at 1,706 square metres. Six of the new bungalows will be smaller units of 63 square metres, each with an outdoor terrace, while the other eight will be larger units of around 140 square metres with pools ranging between 65 and 85 square metres. An outline permit granted in 2023 allowed for 12 detached sections. The Baldacchino Group says that the current application subdivided the four sections which each had three separate units each, into six sections having two units each which result in the same number of accommodation suites.
The developers maintain that the application remains in line with the parameters set out in the original permit. The development was tied to the reinstatement of an illegal car park located opposite the site, an area that was meant to be restored to its natural garigue state before any further approvals could be granted. They state that works are ongoing and that the car park is now in its final stages of restoration.
Responding to concerns about traffic in the area, the developers claim the opposite is true: “There will not be an increase in traffic, but the other way around. Currently with the current operation of the wedding halls and the night club you can see around 500 cars going at one go which will obviously stop, so it really is a step for the better. With tourists the traffic will be distributed not all in one go as with the current operations.”
The shift, they argue, is guided by a long-term vision and not driven by a decline in demand for weddings. “We believe that the serene, natural setting lends itself beautifully to a more sustainable and mindful form of hospitality,” they stated, describing the project as a place for “rest, reflection, and reconnection.”
The developers also framed the redevelopment as a first for Malta. “This is a project Malta did not experience yet,” they say.
The Garden of Eden venue was originally established in the late 1980s by the late Joseph Baldacchino, during a time when wedding halls were still a rarity in Malta. For decades, it became a landmark for celebrations, particularly weddings, and a “memory ground” for generations of couples.
Public reaction to the project has been mixed. Some have noted that fewer couples are opting for large-scale weddings and that repurposing the space for tourism makes business sense.
Others have raised concerns about overdevelopment and the continued loss of Malta’s green spaces. “More destruction! More greed. No control! No governance!” read one social media comment.
