TOWNHOUSE NO 60

Set within the protected urban fabric of Gharghur, Townhouse No. 60 traces its origins to a modest farmhouse. Over time, it has evolved through successive layers of extension and adaptation, each phase reflecting the needs and sensibilities of its moment. The ground floor retains the essence of the original structure — thick limestone walls, masonry arches, ‘xorok’ slabs, timber beams, and a stone staircase that leads down to an arched cellar. These elements form the tactile core of the house, anchoring it firmly to its past.

 

The first floor, a later addition, continues this architectural language, while new volumes extending to the roof reinterpret the typology for contemporary life. Together, these interventions create a vertical narrative of continuity and change, where traditional construction meets modern requirements.

 

At the centre of the plan, the former courtyard has been reimagined as a double-height interior volume beneath a generous skylight measuring 6.5 by 3 metres. This opening draws daylight deep into the house, animating the adjoining rooms and defining the kitchen and dining area as the social heart of the home.

 

The design approach is one of measured contrast. New interventions are articulated with precision and restraint, allowing the historic fabric to remain legible. The guest toilet, conceived as an independent element that does not rise to the ceiling, exemplifies this sensitivity, maintaining the visual continuity of the original shell. The material palette is grounded in natural finishes: cross-cut travertine flooring, warm timber surfaces, and exposed stone walls left untouched where their texture and tone enrich the interior atmosphere.

 

Technical coordination presented a key challenge — integrating modern services while preserving the building’s exposed masonry and uneven floor levels. The project resolves this through discreet routing and a combination of mechanical and passive ventilation strategies. The restored bell-shaped well now collects second-class water for domestic use, reinforcing a sustainable cycle rooted in the site’s history.

 

Townhouse No. 60 stands as an exploration of continuity — a dialogue between permanence and adaptation, where architecture acknowledges its past while shaping space for contemporary living.