Industrial heritage : buildings in the Grand Harbour

Abstract

Prestigious buildings such as palaces, fortifications, an monuments are sprinkled across Malta and Gozo. They are respected, praised and admired for the achievements that they individually correspond to and have come to represent. Thus, individuals or communities who own such buildings are likely to conserve them with pride and honour. Industrial properties are not always as privileged. Nowadays, we tend to fail to recognize such buildings as part of our heritage. However, one can concur that the industrial era represents a time of progress and technological innovation, whose achievements have greatly affected today’s society and the built environment itself. The primary objective of this dissertation is to raise a consciousness as to why industrial buildings are culturally significant. By looking back at the development of the Grand Harbour under colonial rule, an image of the industrial culture and infrastructure may be comprehended. An investigation of the infrastructure found on the waterfront of the south harbour will reveal how these remnants relate to the current built environment. A literature review of industrial heritage, regarding place, conservation principles, trends of adaptive reuse and regeneration of industrial sites, will outline the criteria for a selection of foreign case studies, whose context is of a similar nature to the Grand Harbour. An analysis of the conservation principles, which guided their adaptive reuse and factors, which contributed, to their success, will be noted. Through this analysis, it would be possible to recommend possibilities for local industrial buildings and sites.