Valletta, Malta
2014
Hospitality
Chris Briffa Architects
Casa Ellul is one of Valletta’s most luxurious boutique hotels, located in the very heart of Malta’s capital city. The design concept is defined by a striking contrast between the classic Victorian-period house on the lower floors and the contemporary rooftop spaces above. This duality influenced every aspect of the project, from the hotel’s spatial layout and complex services infrastructure to the refined interior detailing and bespoke furnishings throughout.
For the first phase of the project, SAW was appointed as the selected partner for the furnishing of guestrooms and external areas designed by Chris Briffa Architects. Our involvement focused on delivering high-quality, tailor-made solutions that respected the building’s historic character while supporting the project’s modern hospitality requirements.
While retaining most of the original architectural fabric and keeping alterations to a minimum, the rooftop extension was conceived as a distinctive louvred ‘hat’, inspired by traditional Maltese persjani. This architectural feature wraps around the top suites, acting both as a visual screen and as a functional enclosure for outdoor services, seamlessly blending heritage references with contemporary design.
The project was awarded the 2015 Din l-Art Helwa ‘Prix d’Honneur’ for best entry in the rehabilitation and re-use category, praised by the judges as being “executed with incredible flair and sensitivity to the house’s past.” SAW contributed to enhancing the project through the provision of internal and external apertures, partition cladding with moulding, fire doors, guestroom furniture, and external louvred wall cladding, supporting the successful transformation of this landmark property.
