Richard England disowns Mellieħa HSBC building

Eminent architect Richard England has issued his clearance for the demolition of the former HSBC building in Mellieħa which is being earmarked for a six-storey hotel development.

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage had originally noted that the property had “modernist sensibilities and has been attributed to Professor Richard England”.

In view of this it had asked the architect of the proposed hotel development to provide it with  an official statement in writing from Professor Richard England, confirming  his paternity of the building’s design and to determine the building’s “architectural merits and value.”

In the duly submitted declaration England said he is not opposed to the demolition of the HSBC building because “it has undergone several changes in its façade by other architects, and thus can no longer be considered as one of his designs”.

In view of England’s declaration, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage concluded that “the demolition of the HSBC building may be considered”.

But the SCH is still objecting to the design of additions being proposed on top of the façade of the neighbouring townhouse, which is also part of the hotel development.

The Mellieħa development proposed by Jarom Investments is facing objections from the Mellieħa Local council which is concerned with the visual impact, density and traffic impact.  Back in December 2023 Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo, who hails from Mellieħa, had also objected to the proposed project for similar reasons.

England has also recently issued the clearance for the demolition of another of his creations; the HSBC bank in St Julians noting that he had always ‘felt uncomfortable with the way this building turned out” and was therefore not opposed to its demolition’.

While reiterating its  previous stance that “the existing façade has a degree of architectural importance” the SCH added that in view of England’s position the demolition of the façade  of the St Julians branch considered.”

This Mellieħa and St Julians bank branches are two of several former Mid-Med Bank branches designed by Richard England in the 1970s.

Heritage activist, Edward Said is objecting to the complete demolition of these modernist buildings and is calling for the integration of their facades into the new development projects.

While these branches were all designed in “an international modernist aesthetic”, they also included regionalist nuances harking to the Maltese vernacular, and fine paintings and sculptures by eminent artists of the time were often included in the interior fabric of these branches. “All of this was done in a well-mannered, business-like architecture, honest to its original use,” Edward Said said in his objection to the demolition of the buildings.

Said believes these buildings should be considered as urban landmarks, not unlike the cinemas of the 1950s.

He has also proposed that another completely intact and disused HSBC branch in St Paul’s Bay is scheduled.  A permit for demolition of the St Paul’s Bay branch expired last year. Considered the finest of bank branches designed by Richard England, the building is worthy of inclusion in the list of scheduled buildings according to Said.

Heritage NGO Din l-Art Helwa is also objecting to the demolition of the two bank branches noting that their facade “is indicative of regional modernism through its adaptation to the Maltese urbanscape” and  should be “part of the architectural history of the Maltese islands.”