The Malta Tourism Authority tasked our design team with the redesign of lifeguard towers for local beaches. The primary objectives were to create visually unobtrusive, environmentally friendly structures capable of accommodating 2-4 lifeguards and their equipment while being easily demountable for winter storage. This project aimed to replace the previous haphazard procurement approach with a systematic, locally designed, sourced, and maintained system for beach installations. Despite functional constraints, we pursued a distinctive, minimalistic design that could withstand harsh seaside conditions. The towers allow for customizable accessories like flagpoles and storage compartments, adapting to the diverse needs of lifeguards and various beach environments. Constructed with lightweight steel and adorned with local materials, such as wooden panels and bamboo screens (‘Ħasira’), the design emphasises sustainability and seasonal repair. The innovation lies in the procurement process, streamlining the production of beach structures to meet different locations’ specific requirements.

Acknowledgements:

Design Team: Anthea Huber & Theo Cachia

Structural Team: Cedric Calleja & Fabio Spiteri Grech