Malta’s Azure Window could be replaced by steel archway

Editor | January 12, 2019 | World | No Comments

(CNN) — The spectacular Azure Window rock arch on Malta’s island of Gozo was once a Mediterranean must-see sunset spot that formed the backdrop to scenes in “Game of Thrones.”

Now an innovative new design by Russian architect Svetozar Andreev seeks to conceptualize a new arch for the future.

Andreev, the head of architectural firm Hotei Russia, has designed “the Heart of Malta,” a re-imagining of the original archway, made from mirrored steel faces.

“It will be a perfect monument and symbol of the fusion of modernity and nature, of time and history, and a testament to the tenacity of the human spirit,” says Andreev of his grand vision.

New design

The original Azure Window, which collapsed in 2017.

Sascha Steinbach/Getty Images

The new landmark wouldn’t be an exact copy — thanks to the steel material, there’s no attempt to make it look natural.

Rather, Andreev describes the man-made concept as a “a memorial” to the original structure.

He envisages the edifice with an explorable interior as well as exterior space — think five floors of exhibition space, with each level dedicated to a different epoch of Maltese history, all connected by a spiral staircase.

The new concept is designed by Russian architect Svetozar Andreev.

Since the original archway subsided, the Azure Window has been much missed.

Andreev says his proposed redesign has been received favorably in Malta, citing an online poll on a local website.

“According to an online poll being conducted by Malta Today, 68% responded in favor the Heart of Malta Project,” he says. “For us, the fact that response is a true sign of the project’s value.”

The government had earlier rejected a proposal of a hotel near the site, but has said its open to other suggestions of ways of memorialize the Azure Window.

Preserving nature

The current design is just a proposition.

Andreev and his team are keen to stress their structure wouldn’t damage the natural cliffside.

“I love Malta very much, and I understand that nature is one of the archipelago’s most important treasures,” he says.

The team apparently plans to use techniques similar to those used in shipbuilding, building a stable platform beneath the cliff to place the structure on.

Currently it’s just a proposal but it’s definitely an innovative way of attempting to assuage the inevitability of nature.