Joanna Spiteri Staines is a founding partner of Openworkstudio, an interdisciplinary design practice recognised for its high-quality, award-winning architecture with realised projects that are guided through a profound respect for context and the environment, and developed through rigorous research and creativity. Her work is primarily focused on cultural projects and interventions within historic buildings, blending traditional techniques with distinctly contemporary design to create architecture with a strong sense of place.
A passionate advocate for architectural heritage, Joanna has collaborated with Din l-Art Ħelwa since 2006 and has served as a judge for its annual Architectural Heritage Awards since 2012. She continues to contribute to Malta’s academic and professional discourse through articles, papers, and lectures at home and abroad, including a presentation of the rehabilitation of Fort Ricasoli at the United Nations in Paris in 2000 and more recently the presentation of the Gozo Museum at Rue D’Uzès, Paris in May 2022.
Joanna earned a Bachelor of Architecture and Civil Engineering from the University of Malta. She pursued further studies in London at the Architectural Association, and in Rome, completing a Doctorate in Restauro dei Monumenti at La Sapienza University in 1998. In 2001, she was awarded a British Chevening Scholarship to read for an MPhil in Sustainable Heritage at The Bartlett, University College London.
Joanna began her professional career at Architecture Project (AP) in 1993, becoming an associate partner in 2005. Among her most recognised work is the Malta Stock Exchange (2001), housed within the historic British Garrison Chapel in Valletta which garnered international attention for its innovative use of Passive Hybrid Downdraught Cooling (PHDC) technology. At an urban scale, she played a leading role in the conceptual design and masterplan for the Pinto Stores and Grand Harbour Cruise Liner Terminal— a project that received numerous national and international accolades, amongst which the Europa Nostra Award in 2006.
In 2016, Joanna co-founded Openworkstudio who’s projects have been recognised locally and abroad. The following year, she co-founded NIDUM which won the international competition for the Gozo Museum in 2016, with Joanna serving as design director for the ongoing project.
