The Malta Environment and Planning Authority has approved the construction of a 12-storey high-rise building in Gżira, that will serve both commercial and residential purposes. In addition, three basement parking levels will accommodate 125 cars.
The building will also include an office space, 10 residential units and 695 sq.m of landscaped open space for public use, complemented by a cafeteria. Due to the nature of this project, MEPA imposed a gain of around € 30,000 for the Gżira Local Council to be used on initiatives such as urban space regeneration, traffic management and green transport initiatives amongst others.
This new block will be located only around 500 metres away from the Metropolis project – another high-rise project that will be carried out on Testaferrata Street. Gżira is one of the localities deemed appropriate for high-rise developments by MEPA, particularly with regards to buildings designed for office use, as outlined in the 'Gżira employment node' in a 2014 policy.
In a presentation, developers involved in this project pointed out that total public space at ground level will amount to 62 per cent of the total footprint, which is more than the minimum required amount of 50 per cent. According to the case officer report, the considerable height of the building could have some overshadowing and wind circulation implications, however this project will also help for the regeneration of this area.
The developers highlighted the fact that in order to minimise the aesthetic impact on the surroundings, the building will have a green wall and the design will focus on transparency and verticality. Shading studies also showed that overshadowing would be limited to roofs of buildings immediately surrounding the high-rise structure.
Alongside this project, the Metropolis Plaza, projected to be completed in around four years' time, will feature another three high-rise buildings of 13, 27 and 33 floors. It will be interesting to observe these projects unravel and their role in the regeneration of the area.
(Sourced from Times of Malta)
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