A new architectural design concept by Elena Britanishskaya and Svetozar Andreev proposes a futuristic building in the place of where a natural phenomenon once stood. The project, titled The Heart of Malta, transforms the archipelago’s collapsed Azure Window into a polygonal form that would have the same size and proportions as its predecessor.
The Azure Window, also known as the Dweira Window, was an iconic 92-foot-tall limestone arch on Malta's island of Gozo. It featured a rock pillar jutting out of the sea that was connected to the cliff via a horizontal slab. The Azure Window was formed because a sea cave crumbled during the 19th century, and the erosion continued to the arch from then on. By the time it inevitably fell on March 8, 2017, large sections had already broken and fallen into the water.
Britanishskaya and Andreev are paying homage to the Azure Window with The Heart of Malta. They intend for the exterior to have angled mirrored steel faces which will reflect the surrounding landscape and blend in with it. Inside, the nearly 54,000-square-foot space will feature exhibitions laid out among five spiral floors. Each level will represent a thousand years of Maltese history, making this building not only a stunning architectural achievement but a valuable location for understanding and appreciating its culture.
Architects Elena Britanishskaya and Svetozar Andreev have proposed an architectural design concept that pays homage to Malta's iconic Azure Window.
The mirrored steel-faced building will hold five levels, with each section representing a century of Maltese history.
Learn more about their concept in the video below:
Svetozar Andreev: Website | Instagram
h/t: [designboom]
All images via Svetozar Andreev.
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