A study of the British military base in Mtarfa

Abstract

This research was carried out as a result of my love and appreciation for British military architecture. Apart from this, despite the fact that there is very little information available about the military base in Mtarfa, I saw great potential to study the area and go into detail to produce a historical document that speaks about every building and facility that was built in Mtarfa during the British occupation, including those structures that were demolished after the departure of the British from the Maltese Islands and the termination of Malta being used as a military base. This dissertation, by explaining the innovative concepts and new architectural language introduced by the Royal Engineers, aims to alleviate the perception and appreciation of British military architecture on our islands. It also aims to create the first detailed document about Military Mtarfa and be a source of data that covers a great deal of Mtarfa's past. During the British period, between 1800 and 1979, Malta has experienced drastic changes in the way towns and houses were developed. There was no longer the norm of a village radiating from a church with a narrow winding road system and houses with small apertures but a move towards a more uniform layout with straight wide roads and buildings with large windows and verandahs facing the public realm - a concept that was slowly introduced by the Royal Engineers in Malta. The research was carried out by analysing the existing structures and also going through around four-hundred original drawings that were a good source of information for not only the existing structures but also those that were either modified or rebuilt by the Royal Engineers themselves and those structures that unfortunately no longer exist. This, together with an orthophoto that was shot during August of 1957, helped in understanding how Mtarfa was originally designed to function: a military base that not only accommodated the servicemen but also their families providing all the necessary facilities needed for everyday life. Mtarfa serves as a good model for the ideal urban scenario. Even though the main aim for its erection on a high ridge was to accommodate an army and a main hospital that was to serve thousands of servicemen, the engineers applied urban concepts that were innovative to Malta during the time, rendering a better quality of life to those that were stationed in the area.