Submissions are soon set to close for the 2026 edition of Premju Emanuele Luigi Galizia, Malta's national architecture awards recognising excellence across architecture, planning, urban design, engineering, conservation and the wider built environment.

Applications are being accepted until 23:59 on Friday 18th September.

This year's edition marks a significant milestone in the award's evolution, with the Kamra tal-Periti and the Planning Authority joining forces to organise the event for the first time, a partnership both bodies describe as a natural extension of work already under way between them.

André Pizzuto, President of Kamra tal-Periti, said the collaboration reflects an increasingly close working relationship between the two organisations. “The Kamra tal-Periti and Planning Authority have been increasingly working closely to ensure a marked improvement in the quality of Malta's built environment,” he explained.

“Joining forces, rather than working in isolation, should ensure that we can achieve positive outcomes more effectively and efficiently. Premju Galizia is one of the visible manifestations of this increased collaboration.” Through it, he added, both organisations expect to broaden recognition of Malta's best projects and the collaborative effort behind them.

Johann Buttigieg, Executive Chairman of the Planning Authority, described the co-organisation as a significant step for the Authority. “Premju Emanuele Luigi Galizia has long been recognised as an important platform for celebrating excellence in architecture and the built environment, and we are proud to be partnering with the Kamra tal-Periti to further strengthen and elevate its impact,” he said, framing the Authority's role in planning as extending well beyond regulation alone.

“As an Authority, we believe that planning is not simply about regulating development. It is about shaping places that improve people's quality of life and contribute positively to our communities.”

The awards take their name from Emanuele Luigi Galizia, one of Malta's most celebrated architects and civil engineers, and continue to draw on his legacy as a reference point for the kind of work the jury looks to reward.

Mr Pizzuto noted that last year's edition focused specifically on Galizia's own legacy, prompting reflection on what kind of built legacy Malta itself is currently leaving behind. Building on that, he said the 2026 edition aims to establish a more unified understanding, shared between the Kamra and the Planning Authority, of what constitutes high-quality development.

“We are seeking projects that establish a considerate and sustainable approach to development as a civic function that respects the economic, social and environmental factors of each endeavour,” the Kamra tal-Periti President said.

For Mr Buttigieg, quality is a concept that reaches well beyond appearance. “When we speak about quality, we are referring to far more than visual appeal,” he said. “Quality is reflected in how a project responds to its context, how it serves the people who use it, how it respects its surroundings and how it contributes to the wider community.”

He expressed hope that Premju Galizia would grow into a genuine benchmark of excellence, recognising consistent commitment to those standards across projects of every scale, from large developments to heritage restorations and urban interventions, and said the current collaboration is specifically aimed at elevating the awards to national status.

This year's programme continues to focus on the realities shaping Malta's built environment today, spanning the adaptive reuse of heritage buildings, housing and density, public spaces, hospitality, infrastructure, conservation and urban regeneration.

Asked why these particular themes matter, Mr Buttigieg pointed to Malta's limited land resources and rich cultural heritage as reasons for a more strategic approach to planning. “Adaptive reuse allows us to preserve buildings that form part of our collective identity while giving them new life and purpose,” he said, describing it as both a practical and sustainable approach that benefits present and future generations alike.

“The challenge is to ensure that development delivers not only housing units, but attractive, liveable neighbourhoods supported by quality public spaces, services and infrastructure,” he said, adding that urban regeneration matters precisely because it focuses on improving existing areas into healthier, more vibrant communities.

Mr Pizzuto placed this year's shortlist within a wider context – a conversation taking place both locally and across Europe, particularly around sustainability. “This year's edition takes cues from the broad conversations happening locally and at European level, particularly in relation to the sustainability agenda,” he said. “The goal is to celebrate projects that go beyond aesthetics to articulate a more contemporary and rounded role for periti in Maltese society in the years ahead.”

“The profession of the Perit does not only consist of architecture but is a broad umbrella profession that encompasses multiple specialisations linked to the design and engineering of the built environment working together to deliver cohesive and quality projects,” he said.

Submissions must be made on behalf of entire project teams, recognising the collective contribution of clients, architects, planners, engineers, conservation specialists, interior designers, project managers, contractors and other professionals involved in delivering successful projects.

Asked how the Authority balances its ambition for a more holistic, people-centred and sustainable built environment against the everyday pressures of planning in Malta, the PA Executive Chairman described it as one of the greatest responsibilities any planning authority carries. “Malta continues to experience economic activity, investment and development pressures, but that makes it even more important that we keep sight of the long-term goals we wish to achieve,” he said.

“Sustainability is not something separate from development. It must be embedded within it,” he said, adding that the Authority's ultimate objective is a built environment that supports economic growth while enhancing the wellbeing of communities, goals he insisted are not mutually exclusive. “In fact, the most successful places are those where development and quality progress hand in hand.”

Submissions for Premju Emanuele Luigi Galizia 2026 remain open until 18th September at 23:59hrs, with the Planning Authority and the Kamra tal-Periti encouraging professionals, organisations, students and project teams alike to take part and help showcase the quality, innovation and talent shaping Malta's built environment.

For more information and submissions visit https://premjugalizia.org/