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Located in the village of Attard, Villa Bologna is a noble Maltese country house built in 1745 by Fabrizio Grech, legal adviser of Grand Master Pinto, as a wedding gift to his daughter and Nicola Perdicomati Bologna. The Villa is situated in 3 hectares of historic grounds, designed as a fortified property, which includes the main villa, its surrounding gardens and other ancillary structures such as the tower and a cottage house.

The Glasshouse was designed as an intervention in the early 20^th century, as part of Lady Strickland’s plans of enlargement and embellishment of the original gardens. During her care, she created a series of lavish gardens and new water features, during which the glasshouse was constructed.

The design consists of a low wall and supporting columns forming arched apertures with an arcaded cornice that includes a series of glazed oculi. A closing wall is fitted at each end with a timber-framed access door. Both glazed roof and windows use of steel-frame single-glazed apertures, which are fitted within the masonry fabric.

The restoration aimed to reinstate the original features, removing the harmful interventions and bring back the geometry and appearance of the structure. The masonry openings were restored and rebuilt to include and re-expose the glazed sections. Internally, all stones shelves were repaired, along with the water through below the windows to ensure the return the glasshouse’s functionality.

The Glasshouse is part of a wider strategy to revive and safeguard Villa Bologna’s heritage. This area of Maltese heritage which has been neglected in the post-war years, yet it is critical to maintaining a sustainable approach. The intervention focuses not only on the building itself but, most importantly, emphasizes heritage valorisation by addressing the architectural fabric. By viewing heritage as a valuable asset and propagating the native Maltese flora, Villa Bologna’s gardens are maintained, promoting the idea of circularity and sustainable development.