Where new meets old : a study of addition architecture in Valletta

Abstract

The historic building is no longer seen as an untouchable object that cannot be altered or used for anything other than its intended purpose, rather today there is an increasing shift towards the use of contemporary interventions to rehabilitate historic buildings according to the needs of society. This in fact has contributed to the evolution of contemporary architecture, whereby the challenge is no longer solely one of designing a new structure but also one of fusing the new with the old. This body of work centres around one aspect of the rehabilitation process; this being the design of exterior additions, where a new intervention is introduced as an extension of a historic building in order to satisfy changing spatial requirements. Due to society's attachment to historic buildings, surrounding the field of addition architecture is the tension between the need of change and the desire to preserve. Consequently, the practice of adding to what has already been built is a controversial one, where compatibility of the new with the old is only one of the many dilemmas involved in such an exercise. Influences such as conservation principles and values, design theories and methods of design, societal memory and nostalgia, and contextual restrictions also factor into the equation. This dissertation therefore examines these different facets of addition design, in order to discern the current issues and perceptions affecting the practice of addition architecture in the sensitive context of Valletta, Malta's capital city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Through an analysis of four rehabilitation projects in Valletta, this study uncovers the nostalgic-based reactions of the Malta Environmental Planning Authority (MEPA) with regards to the development assessment process. These tend to favour the design of imitation or non-descript additions as opposed to innovative contemporary solutions, especially when involving highly visible locations in the city. As a result of this fear for the new and the fear for damaging Valletta's World Heritage status, the change required to facilitate the city's progress is being counteracted by a desire to preserve and 'museumify' the city. This dissertation therefore identifies key criteria that should govern addition architecture in Valletta in order to promote its regeneration into a capital city that is representative of its time.