Maltese design studio Valentino Architects has been honoured at the International Architecture Awards 2025, taking home the prize in the Restoration and Renovation category for their project Dar San Rokku.

Organised annually by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, in collaboration with The European Center for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies, the awards recognise the best architecture and urbanism projects from around the world.

This year’s jury — which included leading figures such as Ferrari design chief Flavio Manzoni and South Korean architect Sang Dae Lee — selected Dar San Rokku as one of the standout works of restoration, praising its sensitive reimagining of Malta’s historic fabric.

The project exemplifies Valentino Architects’ approach to balancing heritage conservation with contemporary design. In Dar San Rokku, the practice restored and adapted a traditional residence, respecting the building’s layered history while making it liveable and relevant for today.

Valentino Architects will be celebrated alongside fellow winners at a gala ceremony in Athens this September. Their work will also feature in a special exhibition, The City and the World, marking the inauguration of the newly expanded Contemporary Space Athens. All winning projects, including Dar San Rokku, will also be published in Global Design + Urbanism XXV: New International Architecture 2025, a compendium showcasing the year’s most significant architectural contributions worldwide.

Founded in Valletta, Valentino Architects has established a reputation for work that bridges Malta’s heritage with modern needs. The practice has been shortlisted and recognised in other international competitions, but this award marks one of its most prestigious wins to date on the global stage.