CASA BOTTEGA: A BALANCE BETWEEN ARCHITECTURAL RECOVERY AND CONTEMPORARY LIVING
Casa bottega is the story of the redevelopment of
a house built in 1650, in one of the historic urban districts of Valletta, the capital of Malta.
A CONTEMPORARY LIVING PROJECT WITH SHARED AND PRIVATE SPACES
The project Casa Bottega, designed by Chris Briffa Architects, recovers a historic building as both a home and work space. And chooses FIMA
for its taps and fittings. The building now plays host to the studio Chris Briffa Architects, in its historic part, while a contemporary penthouse, added on top of the structure, is dedicated to the studio owner’s family. The importance of this architectural recovery has been highlighted by various awards and mentions in international architecture competitions, most recently, the BIG SEE INTERIOR DESIGN AWARD 2021, with awards also given to partners
involved in the design activity, among which is FIMA for its bathroom taps and fittings and wellness areas.
AN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE TO CONSERVE
Recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1980, Valletta has experienced a rapid cultural and sociological rebirth in the last 20 years, which also started a movement to value and recover its architectural heritage.
The structural basis of the city, within its fortified walls, has remained constant over hundreds of years. Thus, the structural and functional constraints associated with the recovery of historic buildings have often represented an interesting challenge for architects, called on to find the right balance between innovation and tradition, between conservation of cultural heritage and the new needs of contemporary living.
It is in this context that the Casa Bottega project came to life, when architect Chris Briffa, already a connoisseur of Maltese reality, and the author of several projects there, bought a decidedly dilapidated city centre period residence.
Three years followed, of studies, safety measures, and the recovery of the structures and original layout of the building, redesigned to accommodate the architecture studio with various multifunctional spaces for presentations and meetings.
Original elements, such as floor tiles and window and door openings, have been fully restored and reintegrated. The facade has been preserved in classic Maltese stone, with a skilful recovery of the large external mirador, or enclosed wooden balcony, that graces the piano nobile, however the most modern services and infrastructures have also been installed in the historic structure, ranging from state of the art ventilation to an elevator enclosed in a steel and glass cage, rising out of the courtyard.
FIMA’s choice for taps fits perfectly into this perspective, with its MAXIMA collection reinterpreting the traditional three-hole solution with design flourishes and greater attention to consumption.
The result is a careful restoration of the authenticity of the building, balanced by the needs of modern comfort and sustainability, without distorting the historical context within the city centre.
LIGHT, MATERIALS & FIMA TAPS AND FITTINGS FOR CASA BOTTEGA
The interiors of the Casa Bottega project are balanced with a clever play of contrasts of light and dark, coolness and warmth, inside and outside, and closed and open, especially in the penthouse.
Here light becomes a catalyst for the contemporary atmosphere of the project. Through large perimeter openings, skylights and glass walls, light invades Casa Bottega, illuminating its oak floors, and warming the grey concrete structures and elegant stainless steel kitchen, which represents the heart of the home, looking out onto the garden terraces.
The sleeping area is more confidential, with its diffused but more intimate lighting. Two portholes in the ceiling and the grazing light from the floorlevel window create a soft, refined atmosphere, which envelops the master bedroom and bathroom.
The shower area directly looks over to the double bedroom, and is an essential, linear volume, served by a wall shower column chosen from FIMA’s wellness solutions. The wall solution has an adjustable shower head, and detachable hand shower in a matt black finish. The controls chosen are those of the MAXIMA collection, a classic series with a cross-shaped profile, revisited in a modern key.
The astute selection of FIMA’s Maxima taps and fittings is also seen in the washbasin area, with a three-hole wall solution and dual sinks, exalted by Venetian terrazzo effect tiles.
Then, a Maxima three-hole surface-mounted tap solution, in a white finish, has been opted for in the bathroom on the first level of the penthouse, inspired by the portico of nearby St John’s Co-Cathedral. Here, once again, the space largely reflects the delicate transition between the historic building and the contemporary penthouse, with clearly salvaged elements, such as the opus incertum, or crazy paving, marble floor.
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