Valentino Architects will transform the studio space designed by 20th century artist Frank Portelli, a core figure in Malta's post-war art scene, into a sunny, modern residence.

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This renovation restored the homegrown sanctuary of one of Malta's most striking modern artists — Frank Portelli (1923-2004), known for his mural art and multi-hued paintings. His work is influenced by the international worldview and is expressed through the “crystal cubism” style he created. During his active years, he designed and built a post-modernist building as his studio at Attard. The building is called La Serenissima, named by the artist in homage to the city of Venice.

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Portelli's initial studio was defined by tall geometric windows and a strong south-north axial layout, designed to make the most of strong south and west winds. Redesigned as a one-bedroom home, the interior design is oriented along this central axis. A series of rooms begins with a bright, open living space on the south side and a more private room on the north side. Between them, a small home office and a greenhouse are opposite each other, located on an axis of things that intersect.
The room on the south side was once used as Portelli's primary art creation space, surrounded by 45-degree skylights and high windows. The southernmost end has been transformed into a new outdoor space. By removing the glass from the sloping skylight above the deck, the new raised space was transformed into an outdoor terrace. The south-facing recessed glass covers the intense summer sun indoors, allowing lower winter sunlight in during the colder months.

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The colors used in the new interior embody the boldness of Portelli's original design elements. The rough black lines of the openings correspond to the kitchen furniture, repeating the gray shade in the new resin floor and well-preserved tiles. Portelli's prismatic shape reappears throughout the space in the new intervention—the door handles are made through triangular perforations that are visually connected to triangular windows.
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