This is the second time AP’s work has been recognised by the New York based online platform
Architizer, after being selected as the Popular Choice Winner in the Best Adaptive Reuse and
Renovation Firm Category in 2024.
This year’s winning project is a sensitive refurbishment and extension of an 18th-century palazzino, where contemporary design merges seamlessly with traditional Maltese architecture. The intervention responds to the evolving urban context through a fixed stone privacy screen — a contemporary gesture that echoes the historical materiality of the house. Crafted from local Maltese softstone (franka) using traditional methods, the sculpted fins of the screen provide privacy from neighboring developments while casting a rhythmic play of light and shadow across the façade.
Konrad Buhagiar, founding partner of AP Valletta, states: “Having worked on historic buildings for some time, we have come to believe that the combination of a bold decision and a delicate intervention is the best formula for success in projects with heritage value.”
The project introduces a refined architectural vocabulary that engages the heritage of the site while asserting a clear, contemporary identity. The reuse of traditional materials, the restrained intervention within the original volumes, and the thoughtful calibration of views and privacy work together to create a timeless residence rooted in place.
The 13th Annual A+Awards are organized by Architizer, the world’s largest online platform for
architecture, which this year received over 4,000 entries from more than 80 countries. This year’s
honorees celebrate material mastery, regional craft and cutting-edge ideas that reflect architecture’s global evolution from the ground up. Across the globe, architects are balancing universal challenges — from climate change to rapid urbanization — with the specifics of local conditions, cultures, and communities. The winners reflect that mission in full, demonstrating how buildings can be at once globally relevant and deeply rooted in place.
“This year’s winners showcase an inspiring evolution in architectural thinking—one that values precision, materiality, and craftsmanship over formal radicality…These works prove that architecture’s power resides not just in bold gestures, but in their depth of thought” said Saul Kim, Director, Saul Kim Studio and jury member of the Architizer A+Awards.
Architizer will celebrate the winners of the 2025 A+Awards this autumn in New York.
This article was provided by AP Valletta
