Macina on Stir Magazine
DAAA Haus wins German Design Award 2020 for restoring historical building in Malta
DAAA Haus wins laurel for turning a 16th century structure into luxury hotel, Cugó Gran Macina Grand Harbour, a space that juxtaposes the old with new in the city of Senglea.
DAAA Haus has won the German Design Award 2020 under the category ‘Excellence in Interior Architecture’ for its project Cugó Gran Macina Grand Harbour, a hotel in Senglea, Malta. A 16th century Maltese landmark was transformed into a luxury hotel in 2017, with the project drawing inspiration from the history of the building. Today, Cugó Gran Macina is an embodiment of taste, quality and luxury, and reflects the lifestyle of the guests visiting the ultra-luxury suites.
While bestowing the honour upon Cugó Gran Macina Grand Harbour, the jury described the hotel as: “Carefully integrated into the walls of the historic port city, the hotel interior looks extremely modern and forms an exciting contrast to the existing buildings. The tasteful furnishings offer a luxurious standard that promises a high-quality stay.”
The German Design Award by German Design Council is one of the most widely recognised international design awards, honouring studios and designers contributing in the field of product and communications design through their project.
The luxury hotel is the flagship project of DAAA (design, art and architecture associates) Haus, which was founded by Keith Pillow in 2009, and at present has offices in Milan, Malta, Ragusa and Mumbai. Late last year, the studio celebrated its 10th anniversary by throwing a huge party on the terrace of the Cugó Gran Macina Grand Harbour, and through a series of workshops, design talks, and an exhibition that had artisanal carpets designed by the studio and handmade in India.
Cugó Gran Macina Grand Harbour offers 21 spacious suites (ranging from 40 sqm to an impressive 130 sqm), with high vaulted ceilings, hand-picked designer pieces and an unobstructed view of the harbour and surrounding marina. For the seafront fortified building, whose modern image protects and enriches the historic structure, DAAA Haus made sure the use of contemporary natural slate is in stark contrast to the chalk white walls and limestone throughout the building.
While converting the old building into a new avatar, architect Edwin Mintoff combined the sprawling views with discreet privacy, and the hotel’s large common areas along with the high vaulted ceilings let plenty of daylight to highlight the property’s minimalistic and welcoming design.
The multi-disciplinary architecture and design studio married natural and traditional materials with modern clean lines to create a contrast between design that is old and of historic value with the new details. The design team at DAAA Haus also indulged in innovative use of tufted wool rugs, Scandinavian pieces and bespoke Italian sofas and beds. The designers created custom furniture for every space in the hotel that was later refined by local craftsmen.
Bathrooms in the expansive suites are covered in contemporary natural slate, and comprise large walk-in shower space, vanity area in marble, and separate spaces for dressing and wardrobe. Large vaulted spaces with arches, mezzanines float above huge custom bathrooms and historical industrial features from Macina’s former life as a 16th century ship repair building is visible everywhere.