Mercury Tower M A LTA
Zaha Hadid Architects has revealed its design for Malta’s Mercury Tower, a twisting structure set to house a boutique hotel. Occupying a spot at the heart of the island’s tourist hub Paceville, the project will see the renovation and redevelopment of the existing Mercury House, and the establishment of a distinctive newbuild architectural statement. Comprising residential apartments and an as yet unnamed boutique hotel, the project is set to breathe new life into a site that has been derelict for 20 years. Working with Malta’s leading conservation architect, heritage elements dating back to 1903 – including Mercury House’s original façade and two underground vaults – will be repurposed as integral parts of the new development. The façade will be restored to its original height, whilst the remaining historic interiors will be used as gathering spaces and entranceways. The new development will stand behind this façade, defining the original structure as the focus of a new public piazza. With the refurbished house at its base, the 24,500m2 project will incorporate civic amenities such as retail spaces and dining venues, whilst the hotel itself is aligned at street level to integrate with Paceville’s existing urban fabric. Conceived as two volumes stacked vertically, the lower nine levels will house apartments whilst the upper 19 storeys are rotated to orient the hotel’s guestrooms towards the Mediterranean for optimal views. Elsewhere, the transitioning floors of 10, 11 and 12 accommodate public spaces, a lobby and an outdoor pool deck.