Dar il-Bahar | Studio Nomad Interiors

The townhouse situated the ancient city of Vittoriosa, Malta's first capital, is a perfect example  of vernacular architecture dating back to the 1600s. Developed over 4 floors, the townhouse presented a number of design challenges, starting with its diminutive dimensions of only 2,7 metres in width, so a careful study had to be done to create spaces comfortable for daily living. The vertical circulation from one floor to the next was one of the most pressing aspects to solve so each of its floors (of about 30 square meters each), was organized in a sequential order, simulating the uses and activity from the morning's awakening to the evening. The sleeping area was thus positioned on the upper floor, just below the roof terrace and home office, and connected  on the same level to the bathroom. The bedroom loft was an addition to the 6mt volume of what was the original living room and walls were demolished to allow light to penetrate through the space and the new metal grille stairs. At the lower level, a traditional stone spiral staircase, called Garigor, links on one side the walk-in closet and on the opposite side the living area. Going down to the ground floor, the impressive 5mt high entrance heralds the architectural features of the house and is on the same level as the kitchen. One of the main objectives was also to create a perception of space and lightness within the very narrow spaces. To further accomplish this, 1,2mt along the whole back facade was demolished to create a lightwell and bring natural light and ventilation to the back rooms which initallly had neither. A skylight was introduced in the kitchen and all internal doors, except for the bathroom, have been omitted to extend longitudinally the visual impression of space from room to room.