Labour turns developer with five-storey Gżira block

Plans by the Labour Party to redevelop its Gzira club opposite the scheduled Orpheum theatre have hit a snag after a case officer report recommended a refusal of an application, due to its impact on the streetscape.

The application foresaw the demolition of the existing townhouse housing the club, to build a ground floor restaurant, a party club on the first floor, as well as four overlying storeys and penthouse for nine apartments.

The Planning Authority’s case officer recommended refusal because the new building exceeds the height limitation for the area by 1.8m, and because the replacement building is not considered “to be of sufficiently high quality for it to be acceptable as good urban renewal”.

The proposed construction for the apartment block over the Labour Party club in Gżira

Moreover the development of a restaurant is excluded by the residential zoning of the area, and the development would result in a shortage of 16 parking spaces.

Another reason for refusal was that while policies limit the percentage of one-bedroom apartments to 20%, in this case four of the 9 dwellings proposed consist of one-bedroom apartments.

In a meeting held last week, the Planning Commission chaired by Claude Mallia decided to postpone its decision by three months to give the PL time to amend its plans.

According to the commission, the visual appearance of the proposal does not adequately respond to the context of the surrounding locality. The commission called for a new proposal incorporating “high standards of architectural design” which respects the streetscape.

Architect and Labour Party deputy leader for party affairs Daniel Micallef had defended the plans in a report presented to the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage, which was objecting to the development arguing that any floors above the third floor should be receded. The SCH described the proposed mass as “excessive” especially with the protruding Maltese balconies that increase “the top-heavy effect”.  The watchdog also expressed concern about the proposed ground floor with its high arches, which “are at odds with traditional proportions and are completely alien to the streetscape”.

But Micallef pointed out out that the proposal complements the history of the Orpheum by instilling a “social element” in the building and integrating the lower levels with the surroundings, contributing to the character of the area.

The social club, having an independent access point and located on the first floor, will be “very well connected to the Orpheum” and “larger amounts of people will visit the place for the eatery, which was designed on ground floor with its main entry/exit in the corner of the building, facing the main door of the theatre.”

Moreover “the slender and elongated arches”, which are also prominent in main doors of nearby buildings, are incorporated in the design by connecting the two lower floors of the proposal with this element, respecting the proportions of the main door (and side access points) of the Orpheum. Timber balconies and wrought-iron railings were both included in the design on upper floor levels as shown in the photomontages submitted.

“The Orpheum, which is in very close proximity to the proposed development was attentively investigated, for the design to be as complementary as possible. However, other features from humble abodes found along the streetscape of the nearby blocks are manifested in the proposal,” Micallef said in a report to the commission which also refers to a large number of permits issued in the surrounding area.