Carlo Schembri who, together with his wife Stefania, is founder and art director of a leading design firm in Malta, Design Source International and sister company ForFun, has been awarded the
contract for producing an ingenious shopping mall
complex in Gozo to be called “The Duke”.
As with all of his projects, the concept is about form and function: a shopping mall and complex of luxurious apartments containing 6,000 square metres of commercial space. It will cater for the retail and leisure markets, enabling corporations to
function in a contemporary-style environment.
A few to mention are HSBC, Island Developments Ltd, Gozo Prime Properties, Monsoon Children’s Accessories, Adidas, Fergie, Terranova, Piccinino, Upim, Bata, Connection Café, Salus Wellbeing Centre, Artigli and Sketchers.
With Mr Schembri’s realistic and practical vision, this architectural project will be living space designed around form and function. He is not merely interested in creating something decorative because he believes this is only the tip of the iceberg: “It is like a beautiful woman – her real beauty is deep down and the make -up simply accentuates it.”
The right combination of well-being, balance, comfort and usage will be considered in producing the first ever complex in Gozo to feature a state-of-the-art gymnasium containing an indoor pool with wave jets and an impressive food store covering more than 1,000 square metres.
The design will take into consideration the façade fabric of the street by architect Colin Zammit, and a combination of glass railings, stainless steel apertures and warm welcoming woods, reflecting the director’s flare for
contemporary design.
Over the years, DSI has been responsible for taking on a number of prestigious and challenging projects, ranging from providing the necessary art direction of high-end residential concepts, to yacht design, to giving advice on urban regeneration projects.
Included in Mr Schembri’s portfolio are upgrades to the Westin Dragonara Resort, the Intercontinental Hotel executive floors and the Radisson SAS in St Julian’s and architectural and interior projects in Morocco, Libya, London, Monaco, Bratislava, Milan and Turin.
Mr Schembri has two
master’s degrees, in interior design and product design, from the Scuola Politecnica di Design in Milan, and is the co-founder of the ForFun Design Studio in Milan.