Part 1

Prof. Ruben Paul Borg

This article draws on the invited presentation, delivered by Prof. Ruben Paul Borg at the CIOB MCCM International Built Heritage Conference, organised during November 2022. The article presents a Vision for Industrial Heritage in Malta – towards a wider appreciation of Industrial Heritage as a key element of our National Identity.

“Guardians of the past, industrial sites testify to the ordeals and exploits of those who worked in them. Industrial sites are important milestones in the history of humanity, marking humanity's dual power of destruction and creation that engenders both nuisances and progress. They embody the hope of a better life, and the ever-greater power over matter.” (UNESCO, 2001)

Industrial Heritage

The Joint ICOMOS – TICCIH Principles for the Conservation of Industrial Heritage Sites, Structures, Areas and Landscapes (Dublin Principles - ICOMOS, 2011) refer to industrial heritage which “consists of sites, structures, complexes, areas and landscapes as well as the related machinery, objects or documents that provide evidence of past or ongoing industrial processes of production, the extraction of raw materials, their transformation into goods, and the related energy and transport infrastructures.”

The Dublin Principles further refer to the important connection between the cultural and natural environment, as industrial processes including ancient or modern, depend on natural sources of raw materials, energy and transportation networks to produce and distribute products to broader markets. The Principles refer to both material immovable and movable assets and also intangible assets such as technical know‐how, the organisation of work and workers, and the complex social and cultural legacy that shaped the life of communities and brought major organizational changes to entire societies and the world in general.

Malta has a rich Industrial Heritage which reflects the historical developments of the Maltese Islands over the centuries.

However this heritage has been largely ignored and important and unique structures and elements have been claimed through a lack of appreciation of this important heritage. Key elements defining the industrial heritage of the Maltese Islands, in particular 19th and 20th century industrial buildings and elements, have been demolished or lost during the past years, with missed opportunities for valorisation of important and unique assets.

During the past years, various initiatives have been launched intended to encourge the appreciation and preservation of Industrial Heritage in Malta. The 1930s Reinforced Concrete Water Tower at the Public Abattoir, set for demolition in 2009, was saved following the timely intervention and the proposal for its conservation by the Construction Materials Engineering Research Group at the University of Malta. Following restoration in 2021,the Water Tower was scheduled as a Grade 1 National Monument. An Industrial Heritage Platform was set up at the Universty in 2015 to promote Industrial Heritage. The Malta Industrial Hertage Association was launched and registered in 2022 to raise awareness and to work for conservation of Industrial Heritage buildings and elements in Malta.

While a number of unique industrial heritage structures and elements were lost during the past decades, also due to a lack of appreciation, a number of sites have been set for regeneration through adaptive reuse.