Superintendence clears way for Stivala hotel overlooking Villa Bonici gardens

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage has been impressed by photomontages of an 11-storey hotel overlooking the scheduled Villa Bonici gardens, and has dropped its earlier objections to the development by Malta Developers Association president Michael Stivala.

Back in September 2021, the Superintendence had “grave concern at the intensity of the proposed development” and at “the very considerable heights and volumes, which will bear onto the scheduled gardens of Villa Bonici”.

The office noted that the development involved the inevitable demolition of an existing vernacular structure to make way for the hotel, something which “would generally not be viewed favourably by the Superintendence”.

Previously it had also denounced illegal works abutting the Villa Bonici garden walls which transformed a yard around the building into a car park. The works “had prejudiced the integrity of the garden wall” but were later sanctioned by the Planning Authority after Stivala presented plans to stabilise the rock section underlying the garden wall.

But following the presentation of photomontages of the proposed hotel, the Superintendence has now described the proposal “as acceptable in principle” as “it incorporates suitable terracing away from the scheduled gardens”.

The SCH dropped its objection to the demolition of the vernacular building after acknowledging a zoning permit from 2017, approving demolition of a building to make way for both a residential development and a pedestrian link between the upper and lower part of Parisio Street, with the hotel stepping up from seven to 11 storeys, the top four storeys being receded.

The SCH has now requested a Works Method Statement on how works are to be carried out without prejudicing the scheduled garden and boundary wall.

This is not the first time that the SCH has changed its position following the presentation of photomontages, as in the case of a five-storey block abutting on the Manikata chapel on the basis of a photomontage showing improvements on original plans.