Wenn Sie jemals an San Gwann, Ta’xbiex, Tarxien und anderen Orten vorbeigefahren sind, wo es solche gibt, bin ich mir sicher, dass Sie ein paar Häuserblöcke mit sehr eigenartig aussehenden Häusern entdeckt haben. Sie sehen aus wie Betonblöcke, sind jedoch aus Kalkstein, mit identischen rechteckigen, offenen und farbenfrohen Balkonen. Die unteren Stockwerke verfügen über kleine Terrassen, die sich vielfältig als Gartenflächen nutzen lassen. Ich kann im Internet nicht wirklich viele Informationen dazu finden, deshalb bin ich hierher gekommen.
Soweit ich weiß, tauchten viele davon in der Zeit von Mintoff und danach auf und sind Sozialwohnungen. Kennt jemand ihre Geschichte? Gibt es hier jemanden, der darin gelebt hat? Ich interessiere mich wirklich für ihre Herkunft und das Leben in ihnen. Wenn also jemand so freundlich wäre, darüber zu sprechen, wäre ich aufgrund meines Interesses an der maltesischen Geschichte sehr dankbar 🙏
Ich habe einige Bilder von dem, worüber ich spreche, beigefügt.
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1r06dwk
Von SaltyInternet3651
7 Kommentare
Dunno about the history, but could really use one of those right about now with the state of rental prices.
[https://housinglandscape.mt/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Beyond-Walls_A-Long-Term-Perspective-of-Social-Housing-in-Malta.pdf](https://housinglandscape.mt/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Beyond-Walls_A-Long-Term-Perspective-of-Social-Housing-in-Malta.pdf) I had some time ago found this presentation from a conference organised by the housing authority. The presentation is made by an academic who specifically researched history of social housing in Malta.
Me personally I don’t know about the history but I damn well know they could use on of those “modernisations” like the post Soviets are doing.
San Gwann, Ta’xbiex, Tarxien, I am going to include Santa Lucija for the social housing projects, Mtarfa, and Valletta (when you enter Valletta to your immediate left – opposite Parliament building).
There is a lot written on all of these projects. Most of it is by architect Joseph M. Spiteri (who also designed Ta Qali National Park) and built in the late 1950s but all the way up to the 1980s. There was a book (pdf) online of all his works, but I currently can’t find a free version online. It still is here: [https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/90669](https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/90669) (you can request accesss). He won the MASP President’s Award for his works (posthumous) in 2020: [https://www.maspawards.com/past-editions/presidents-award-2020/](https://www.maspawards.com/past-editions/presidents-award-2020/)
Someone (Miles Glendinning) from the University of Edinburgh has also photographed a lot of it and the Malta projects are included in a book he wrote about international social housing projects called Mass Housing: Modern Architecture and State Power – a Global History
[https://datashare.ed.ac.uk/handle/10283/4285](https://datashare.ed.ac.uk/handle/10283/4285) (his Malta photos are here)
And the photos you used are by Therese Debono: [https://www.theresedebono.com/social-housing/](https://www.theresedebono.com/social-housing/) (more of them here)
Lived and own one of those type of apartments designs are excellent. efficient use of space, shafts are large allowing light to come in from all sides, all are corner apartments so all rooms have outside windows. Terrazzo/mosaic floors. Doblu on all sides, so winter is comfortable and with a good ac and aperture you can cool very efficiently. Only issue was that when they were built, contractors quality varied so you can get walls not completely straight. Common areas and fascades are now being refurbished but still the social housing element remains.
I am not Maltese, but I bought one of them and sold it. Great place where to live, 3 bedroom without losing too much space in corridors, cozy and functional, squarish layout meaning sun light everywhere. To be housing government built, really really good. Sold just for the fact I needed a 4th bedroom. Otherwise I would have stayed there forever.
Honestly they’re quite an eyesore (even the refurbished ones) and look like something out of the USSR. However, I could understand the need for social housing. The shame is that today they are no longer social housing and the people given these apartments for free have sold them for a fortune, which goes against the spirit of social housing.