This Russian architect wants to rebuild Malta’s most iconic natural landmark with mirrored steel

A Russian design studio has released its vision to rebuild one of Malta’s most iconic natural landmarks.

The Azure Window, also known as the Dwejra Window, was a natural limestone arch reaching out into the Mediterranean. It was a long-standing tourist attraction on the Maltese island of Gozo and even appeared as a location in the very first episode of television series Game of Thrones. Conservationists, however, warned that the arch was increasingly unstable, and the Window collapsed into the sea during heavy storms in March 2017.

Working with architect Elena Britanishskaya, studio Hotei Russia, led by Svetozar Andreev, created the Heart of Malta project as part of new proposals for the area’s future. It sees the landmark revived as an angular steel structure taking on the same size and proportions as the original, enclosing a five-storey exhibition space.

The team hope that if the designs become reality, the project could create a new tourist destination — despite concerns for the local area, which remains part of a nature reserve. They say that the project fuses “modernity and nature, time and history.”