The Brewhouse and Trident Park
Civic Trust Awards Citation
The Brewhouse and Trident Park integrates heritage and modernity, creating a dynamic space where commerce, culture, and industrial history coalesce in harmony.
Located in the Birkirkara/Mrieħel area of Malta, this project not only revitalises an Art Deco Old Brewhouse but also introduces new low-rise mixed-use buildings within Trident Park. The adaptive reuse of the Brewhouse has transformed it into an experiential museum that pays homage to its gravity-fed brewery roots. The preservation of the distinctive ambiance is evident in the conversion of old fermentation vats into co-working areas and the repurposing of storage spaces into microbreweries and cafes. This thoughtful redesign breathes new life into the historic structure while providing contemporary spaces for collaboration and innovation.
Trident Park incorporates six landscaped courtyards featuring terrazzo and native plants, creating a harmonious balance between built and green spaces serving as sensory havens for all. The gardens, with their orchard fruit-inspired planting scheme and vibrant shared vertical circulation cores, echo the rich colours of the rainbow. A generous amphitheatre envelops the entrance to the Brewhouse, edged by a 25-metre long Cisk yellow bridge. Collaboration with a local architectural and engineering firm proved invaluable, and monthly on-site meetings and online workshops ensured that the client’s vision aligned with the design process, fostering a sense of shared ownership. The project embraces sustainable practices, drawing inspiration from centuries-old local environmental wisdom.
With adaptable spaces catering to diverse occupants, from creative start-ups to government organisations, The Brewhouse and Trident Park redefines the workplace, drawing inspiration from historical palaces while prioritising both sensory enlightenment and economic viability.
Judges’ Comments: “This is an excellent example of the transformation, reuse, and rebirth of an iconic and cultural heritage building.”
Photography Credits & Captions
The-Brewhouse-and-Trident-Park-ritchie-studio-01.jpg, Credit: Joe Smith, Caption: Renewed main entrance to Trident Park and Conference Hall The-Brewhouse-and-Trident-Park-ritchie-studio-02.jpg, Credit: Joe Smith, Caption: Aerial overview from the north-east of the renewed Brewhouse and Trident Park (2023) The-Brewhouse-and-Trident-Park-ritchie-studio-03.jpg, Credit: Joe Smith, Caption: Aerial view of the Brewhouse and Trident Park within the Farsons brewery estate (2023) The-Brewhouse-and-Trident-Park-ritchie-studio-04.jpg, Credit: Joe Smith, Caption: New 25m single span entrance bridge to The Brewhouse The-Brewhouse-and-Trident-Park-ritchie-studio-05.jpg, Credit: Joe Smith, Caption: Light falling through The Brewhouse The-Brewhouse-and-Trident-Park-ritchie-studio-06.jpg, Credit: Joe Smith, Caption: Co-working spaces making use of the transformed fermentation vats The-Brewhouse-and-Trident-Park-ritchie-studio-07.jpg, Credit: Joe Smith, Caption: New event space in The Brewhouse. The-Brewhouse-and-Trident-Park-ritchie-studio-08.jpg, Credit: Joe Smith, Caption: Brewhouse workspaces. The-Brewhouse-and-Trident-Park-ritchie-studio-09.jpg, Credit: Joe Smith, Caption: Orange apricot + mandarin garden The-Brewhouse-and-Trident-Park-ritchie-studio-10.jpg, Credit: Joe Smith, Caption: The amphitheatre, Cisk Tap, and Chapels Gastrobrewpub terraces, viewed from above. The-Brewhouse-and-Trident-Park-ritchie-studio-11.jpg, Credit: Joe Smith, Caption: The apple, gage, and avocado garden looking north. The-Brewhouse-and-Trident-Park-ritchie-studio-12.jpg, Credit: Joe Smith, Caption: The Brewhouse and amphitheatre from above. The-Brewhouse-and-Trident-Park-ritchie-studio-13.jpg, Credit: Ian Ritchie, Caption: The Brewhouse workspace ready for occupation. The-Brewhouse-and-Trident-Park-ritchie-studio-14.jpg, Credit: Joe Smith, Caption: The renovated Lewis V. Farrugia Boardroom The-Brewhouse-and-Trident-Park-ritchie-studio-15.jpg, Credit: Joe Smith, Caption: Trident Park blueberry and blackberry garden looking south. The-Brewhouse-and-Trident-Park-ritchie-studio-16.jpg, Credit: Joe Smith, Caption: Trident Park conference hall. The-Brewhouse-and-Trident-Park-ritchie-studio-17.jpg, Credit: Joe Smith, Caption: Trident Park Reception. The-Brewhouse-and-Trident-Park-ritchie-studio-18.jpg, Credit: Ian Ritchie, Caption: The renewed Brewhouse with Trident statue in the foreground The-Brewhouse-and-Trident-Park-ritchie-studio-19.jpg, Credit: Jean Claude Vancell, Caption: The restored boiling coppers in The Brewhouse. The-Brewhouse-and-Trident-Park-ritchie-studio-20.jpg, Credit: Joe Smith, Caption: Aerial overview from the north-west of the renewed Brewhouse and Trident Park (2023)
Overall Result
Highly Commended
Application Type
International
Primary Use Class
E(c)(ii) Professional services (other than health or medical services)
Secondary Use Class
E(b) Sale of food and drink for consumption (mostly) on the premises
Credits
Architect
ritchie studio
Client
Simonds Farsons Cisk PLC and Trident Park Ltd (subsidiary of Trident Estates PLC)
Structural Engineer
TBA Periti
Services Engineer
CASAinginiera
Environmental Design and Engineers
Doug King Consulting
Quantity Surveyor
Equals Consulting
Landscape Architect
Joseph Borg
Contractor
C&F Building Contractors Ltd / iManage Ltd
Masterplanner
ritchie studio
Contractor
Halmann Vella Ltd / Archi+ / AS Management
Contractor
Panta Contracting Limited
Contractor
AX Construction
Contractor
Joint Venture: Joinwell, J.Lautier Co. Ltd, APTC Ltd
Universal Design Consultant
TBA Periti
Acoustic Consultant
Gillieron Scott Acoustic Design
Fire Engineering
CASAinginiera
Lighting Consultant
Ulrike Brandi Licht
Transport Consultant
ERSLI Consultants Limited and AIS Environment
BREEAM
ritchie studio
Catering Consultant
Ingo Wessel
Health and Safety Consultancy
Resolve Consulting Limited
Wayfinding Consultant
Urban UX
Owner
Simonds Farsons Cisk PLC and Trident Park Ltd (subsidiary of Trident Estates PLC)
Applicant
ritchie studio
Original Architect
Lewis V. Farrugia & William Bryce Binnie
Interior Designer
Openworkstudio
Interior Designer
Forward Architects
Interior Designer
RFK Architects Ltd
Interior Designer
DAAA Haus
Interior Designer
DSTUDIO
Photographer
Joe Smith
Exhibition Designer
RFK Architects Ltd