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Thursday, August 30, 2012 by

Kristina Chetcuti

‘More mileage than advert on billboard’

Bank saves Art Nouveau Sliema house

The last remaining detached house on Sliema’s Tower Road, No. 225, is a nostalgic flashback, a glimpse of what the town looked like less than half a century ago.

It was very nearly going to be turned into yet another bland, high-rise building but luckily it was saved by a bank.

Lombard Bank has restored this landmark house, which was built in 1914 and described as the last example of Art Nouveau architecture along the Sliema seafront.

It is positioned at the junction of two well-known thoroughfares: Dingli Street and Tower Road.

“It is our bank’s philosophy to encourage and promote the local culture,” said Lombard CEO Joseph Said.

Over the last few decades, the triangular house, which was the perfect bookend for a row of neat houses, has cut a lone figure as its two-storey neighbours were ripped down, one after the other, as the building boom took no prisoners.

It is now dwarfed by the apartment blocks on Tower Road and Dingli Street.

For years it stood out for all the wrong reasons: it was painfully dilapidated. “I live close by, so I always had a sentiment for the property,” Mr Said, who also is also chairman of Heritage Malta, said.

The house was one of the last to be built on Tower Road by Antonio Cassar Torregiani as his family’s summer residence.

Before the bank purchased the property, an application for a building permit had been submitted. Had it gone through it would have seen this house of great character knocked down and turned into yet another apartment block.

As it is, a vestige of Sliema’s old charm has been saved.

“We are trying to bring it back to the original state and retain all its late 19th century architectural qualities,” said Mr Said.

The bank’s changes were “limited” and entailed “minimum intervention” he said. Inside, all the wooden, wrought-iron and stonework features have been restored and replicated even on the newly-built third floor.

“The bank’s policy with regard to the restoration of its period buildings is one of maximum respect towards the structures,” said Mr Said.

What use can the bank make of a building with just three floors?

“It’s all about adaptive use: We’re not going to put our IT section there, obviously, but we’ll do something else.”

It is not the first time Lombard has undertaken a restoration of this nature. The conversion of No. 9 Palazzo Spinola in Frederick Street, Valletta, is one other project.

Mr Said said the public’s positive reaction was always very encouraging and he was pleased to note that not a single objection was registered by the neighbours.

“Yes, projects like these cost a bit more – but ultimately they pay off and the eventual benefits by far outweigh the original cost,” he said, adding that people now associated the company with things that were of good quality.

“Tower Road is one of the busiest streets in Malta.

“Restoring a house like this certainly gives you more mileage than an advert on a billboard.”

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William Spencer

Sep 2nd 2012, 20:34

Its all about MONEY James.

Money is the new God, money corrupts, money rules !

Mr Jamie Frendo

Aug 31st 2012, 09:08

Jeff I think you meant a mini version of the fuller building or more commonly known as the flatiron in New York?

K. Crockford

Aug 31st 2012, 10:35

Before you miss quote and try to find fault READ properly...

"the last example of Art Nouveau architecture along the Sliema seafront"

balluta is in St Julians not Sliema.

PAUL BUSUTTIL

Aug 30th 2012, 11:19

Dear Mr. C Cassar i am sorry to say you have no idea of what you are talking about ! ( local greedy and uneducated Maltese citizens.) you must have a problem with the Maltese people calling them greedy when all Maltese people want is to better their lives and those of their childrens, these houses had become to expensive to maintain so the best thing to do was to sell them .


Pavlaki Pano Aroditis

Aug 30th 2012, 11:53

Too simplistic my dear sir/madam. This is a classic case of complex causation and multiple agency. I can think of a huge number of factors that caused the "uglification" (sic) of Sliema. Here are a few, in random order; some are structural, others are agency:

1. Unchecked capitalism with property speculation the only major source of investment. Hence our bubble.
2. Multiple ownership of properties with the result that the only realizable option is for the heirs to sell.
3. Subsidized rental according to our rental legislation such that the owners cannot afford repairs nor evict the tenant unless they bribe them with large "gifts", to be recouped by demolishing/re- building
4. Lack of legislation that protected old buildings.
5. Lack of tax-breaks or grants to compensate the owners for the loss of potential income/windfall.
6. No schemes to support property owners to restore their classical properties,

etc, etc.

So, no C. Cassar: the picture is infinitely more complex, and it is the state that is also a major agency in this sorry state of affairs, too, by not creating the right environment so that individuals can realise the value and beauty of their properties by other means. In short, foresight was lacking and still is. No proactive policies . If the owners of these original properties had been compensated by the state to have a regular incremental value income for keeping their properties intact and tended, then I am sure they would have been happy to do so. But to sustain this you need extra taxes. Are you prepared to pay extra to sustain the built environment in the way it pleases you? That is what I call a local educated person. You can only have the right environment if you are prepared to pay for it. Beauty has to be sustained by money and taxes.

B. Storace

Aug 30th 2012, 12:09

The problem is not so much the fact that houses were sold for whatever reason.........NO.....the problem is that when it came to replacing / rebuilding new edifices there was NO control and all hell broke loose. The result is what we have today.
That house on the corner brings back many happy memories. Thank you Lombard Bank.

Eddy Privitera

Aug 30th 2012, 17:27

c. cASSAR; who allowed all those fine houses to be pulled down and turned into blocks of apartments ????

Carmen Borg

Aug 30th 2012, 12:39

I agree

C Sant

Aug 30th 2012, 17:42

When did the uglificayion start to happen? Late 70's...early 80's? Then the Mdina dungeons is not big enough. And do you think this will stop in the future? Not likely. Just look at who are the people that represent business within both our political parties, speculators and contractors!

Mr Alex Phillips

Aug 31st 2012, 09:02

as someone who lived there and left to live overseas 40 years ago, it saddens me to see what has happened in Malta. While no one begrudges progress, this is not progress it is akin to raping the history of Malta. The worse this is once gone you can't bring it back. This is so, so veryvery sad indeed. It breaks my heart.

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