A list of 449 works nominated for the 2022 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award has been released, including Valentino Architects’ residential project, Threeplusone. The project is one of four nominated buildings from Malta, with the entire nomination list spanning across 279 cities globally.

Designed for comfortable, contemporary living, the intention for Threeplusone is to demonstrate a context-driven approach to introducing considerate, medium-scale residential development within sensitive sites. The building replaces a dilapidated single-storey dwelling on a historic thoroughfare through two of Malta’s most beloved villages, Balzan and Attard. The three-storey apartment block was designed to work in harmony with its context, the existence of nearby Modernist buildings influencing its massing, volume and proportion. Threeplusone’s distinct curved projections echo the articulation of the street, bending subtly as they curl along the corner site. Its facade was designed to radiate thermal efficiency, rendered entirely in a silicato finish that reflects sunlight and recalls the tradition of bleach-white coastal architecture.