Labour’s former Macina HQ earmarked for hotel

Port Cottonera Limited has applied to develop a two-storey hotel in the Macina, which formerly served as the Labour Party’s headquarters. 

The application represents a change from plans approved in 2013 by the same consortium, to re-use the historical building for a mixture of exhibition space, conference facilities and catering establishments. 

The works approved in 2013 included the demolition of the second floor of an existing building considered as an accretion to the original building. But this storey is being retained in the proposed hotel building.

The shear bastion building derives its name from ‘macchina’, a mechanism which was used for ship-mast fitting. The mechanism was originally made of strong hardwood, but in 1864 the British changed it to a modernised steel structure. In 1927, the machine was dismantled by the Admiralty in favour of a floating lift crane. 

Il-Macina has subsequently been used for a variety of purposes, including the Admiralty’s Head Office, a Trade School and the Headquarters of the Malta Labour Party.

Port Cottonera, which represents a variety of entrepreneurs and established business groups, is the developer of the Cottonera Waterfront, which hosted the Casino de Venezia and a host of restaurants and corporate offices.

The concession included the 3,000 square metre vaults of the Gateway Building, used for marina related storage and chandlering, the Macina fort and the promenade.