4 September 1973: Danish travel agency Folkeferie commissioned Danish architect Hans Munk Hansen (1929-2021) to design a holiday village in Malta.
12 January 1974: Eight plots of land owned by the Maltese state can be acquired:
-1 Tigne Fort
-2 Qalet Marku
-3 Mellieha Bay
-4 Ramla Tat Torri
-5 Anchor Bay (Popeye Village was build in 1979)
-6 Fomm ir-Rih
-7 Fort Delimara
-8 St. Thomas Bay
The Danish team preferred the land near Mellieha Bay, but it still took months of negotiating with the Dom Mintoff administration to secure the land.
5 September 1974: architect Hans Munk Hansen starts sketching. The design of the holiday homes is inspired by traditional Maltese farmhouses and Maltese arches.
15 July 1975: the final plans are approved
18 December 1975: construction starts (on the terrain to make it suitable to build the village)
One “test bungalow” is build as proof of concept.
25 April 1977: construction starts on the other 149 holiday homes, pool, reception, restaurant, mini-supermarket, etc.
20 May 1979: the official opening of the Mellieha Holiday Centre
A total of 150 holiday homes have been build, each with its own private courtyard and roof terrace. The architect loved the fact that the “white stone” would gradually change to a more “rock color” so the homes would blend in more with its environment.
Today there are 181 holiday homes and still mostly Danish visitors. One of its restaurants is called “Hansen” after the architect.
Source: “The Danish Village” (book) 2015, author Steen Gade, published (in Danish) by FolkeFerie
I didn’t know it was still up and running!
Wonderful!
Is this open to the public? Love me som danish architecture!
Thanks for the tip, never heard of this, so interesting!
where is this located?
This is an example of unobtrusive architecture as opposed to the monstrous towers we have got used to of late. It still looks good after 40+ years
7 comments
4 September 1973: Danish travel agency Folkeferie commissioned Danish architect Hans Munk Hansen (1929-2021) to design a holiday village in Malta.
12 January 1974: Eight plots of land owned by the Maltese state can be acquired:
-1 Tigne Fort
-2 Qalet Marku
-3 Mellieha Bay
-4 Ramla Tat Torri
-5 Anchor Bay (Popeye Village was build in 1979)
-6 Fomm ir-Rih
-7 Fort Delimara
-8 St. Thomas Bay
The Danish team preferred the land near Mellieha Bay, but it still took months of negotiating with the Dom Mintoff administration to secure the land.
5 September 1974: architect Hans Munk Hansen starts sketching. The design of the holiday homes is inspired by traditional Maltese farmhouses and Maltese arches.
15 July 1975: the final plans are approved
18 December 1975: construction starts (on the terrain to make it suitable to build the village)
One “test bungalow” is build as proof of concept.
25 April 1977: construction starts on the other 149 holiday homes, pool, reception, restaurant, mini-supermarket, etc.
20 May 1979: the official opening of the Mellieha Holiday Centre
A total of 150 holiday homes have been build, each with its own private courtyard and roof terrace. The architect loved the fact that the “white stone” would gradually change to a more “rock color” so the homes would blend in more with its environment.
Today there are 181 holiday homes and still mostly Danish visitors. One of its restaurants is called “Hansen” after the architect.
Source: “The Danish Village” (book) 2015, author Steen Gade, published (in Danish) by FolkeFerie
I didn’t know it was still up and running!
Wonderful!
Is this open to the public? Love me som danish architecture!
Thanks for the tip, never heard of this, so interesting!
where is this located?
This is an example of unobtrusive architecture as opposed to the monstrous towers we have got used to of late. It still looks good after 40+ years