In collaboration with the architectural studio Architecture Project Valletta (AP), Aude Franjou was invited to contribute to the design of a dining pavilion in Malta — a refined and contemporary extension to a traditional residence where textile sculpture meets architecture.
While the addition of a light architectural structure to a solid historic home is a familiar gesture, this project distinguished itself by its poetic sensitivity to climate, material, and rhythm. In the harsh Mediterranean light, shade becomes architecture. Responding to this, Franjou created a sculptural textile installation that forms the heart of the pavilion’s identity.
The piece takes the form of sculpted linen elements, hand-woven and integrated into a glass and steel screen that resembles a concertina. These textile forms — resembling vegetal silhouettes or woven trees — gently filter the Maltese sun, casting ever-changing shadows across the space. They establish a soft dialogue between structure and softness, between built form and natural movement.
This collaboration offered a rich opportunity to explore the boundaries between architecture and fiber art, demonstrating how textile sculpture can enhance spatial experience and transform light into a living material.
Read the article on the Architects’ Journal website.
More information on AP Valetta’s website.
