People around the world were heartbroken when Malta’s famous natural phenomenon, the Azure Window, collapsed into the surrounded sea. But architects Elena Britanishskaya and Svetozar Andreev want to memorialize the site in a completely modern way.
The original arch—also known as Dwejra Window—stood at 92 feet. You may recognize it from a handful of movies and TV shows, as the dramatic landscape made the perfect scenery for filming, most notably in “Game of Thrones.” The arch was created when a sea cave collapsed and continuously became eroded storm after storm, eventually meeting its demise in 2017.
The proposed structure looks like something straight out of a Sci-Fi film with sharp angles and mirrored steel elements. The design would span 54,000-square-feet with five stories dedicated to sharing Maltese history through various exhibitions. According to My Modern Met, each floor will cover a decade of the republic’s history.
The design is called “Heart of Malta” and will have the same proportions as the fallen arch. The mirror-faced structure will reflect the surrounding nature, giving it the unique opportunity to blend into its environment despite the ultra-modern materials used to create the exhibition space.
Designboom shares that the architects are dedicated to preserving the existing natural coastal environment by using “the latest techniques and materials available in architecture and shipbuilding” to best bring the arch back to life.
Andreev shared a video breaking down the stunning design, which also gives a peek into what the proposed interior would look like.
There is a group of people who can still view the original limestone arch in its new home at the bottom of the sea: divers. The remains have created an underwater obstacle course of sorts, with pieces of the Azure Window jutting out from the floor of the Mediterranean Sea.
