Art nouveau villa being restored

Roseville Villa in Attard, considered one of Malta's only examples of art nouveau architecture, is being restored.

In 2006, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority scheduled Roseville as a Grade 2 building, after protection measures - an Emergency Conservation Order - were issued by the authority in January 2000.

The plan for Roseville's restoration was submitted with an application that included the construction of an old people's home adjacent and on the rear of the property. The property was earmarked to house the administrative quarters of the home.

In 2004, a permit was issued with an approved restoration method statement, conditions for Mepa monitoring and a €23,256 bank guarantee to ensure compliance.

Full restoration of the scheduled building will be undertaken after completion of preparatory works around the building.

The construction of the old people's home will then follow.

Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA) has been highlighting the deteriorating state of this scheduled property for almost two years.

While acknowledging Mepa's Heritage Management Unit did not have an easy role, FAA said this sort of action helped to rebuild the public's confidence in the authority.

Similar action should also be taken for Villa Alhambra and Villa Drago in Sliema, Villa Frieres at St Julians and Villa Guardamangia, Queen Elizabeth's former home in Pietà, FAA suggested.

Factbox

• Roseville is an early 20th century house, built as a summer residence.

• It was built in two phases: the ground floor dates to 1912, when the architect was Alessandro Manara; the first floor was added in 1921 by architect Emanuele Borg in the same architectural grammar of the ground floor.

• Roseville forms part of a series of villas and traditional period town houses in Attard.