AUM British Building Ke Kahua Kulanui by Edwin Mintoff

AUM British Building Ke Kahua Kulanui by Edwin Mintoff is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 A' Design Award Gula in Hoʻolālā Waiwai Moʻomeheu a me ʻOihana Moʻomeheu Competition Category.

GulaWaiwai Moʻomeheu· 2020

AUM British Building Ke Kahua Kulanui

by Edwin Mintoff

Client: Aum

A' Design Award Gula Winner in Waiwai Moʻomeheu Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #102246

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About AUM British Building Ke Kahua Kulanui

ʻO ka Hale AUM British he kahua kulanui i hana ʻia i loko o kekahi hale hoʻoilina o ke kenekulia 19 ma Senglea. Ua pōʻino nui ka hale i ke Kaua Honua ʻElua, a ma hope ua haʻalele ʻia me ka hoʻohana ʻole. Ua hoʻōla pono ʻia ke ʻano kahiko o ka hale, a ua hoʻoponopono hou ʻia ke kūkulu ʻana no ka hoʻohana ʻana o kēia au. Aia i loko o ke kahua nā lumi papa, nā keʻena hoʻokolohua, nā keʻena hana, kahi hale waihona puke, kahi māla o loko, a me kahi hale ʻaina e wehe mau ʻia nei no ka lehulehu. Ua koho ʻia nā mea kūkulu o kēia au i ʻokoʻa ka nānā ʻana mai ke ʻano kahiko o ka hale. Hoʻomanaʻo nā lawelawe i hōʻike ʻia a me nā kaola kila i paʻa i ka pine kila i ka wā ʻoihana hana o mua.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Gula

Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā AUM British Building Ke Kahua Kulanui i ka A' Design Award Gula, he ʻike hoʻohanohano nui loa i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā pae mua, kupaianaha a kūʻokoʻa. He mau hana hou loa, ʻike maka a nani hoʻolaʻa nā lanakila Gula e hōʻike ana i ka ʻuhane akamai, ka naʻauao a me ka mākau o kā lākou poʻe hoʻolālā. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā AUM British Building Ke Kahua Kulanui he mea hoʻokumu i hoʻomaikaʻi nui ʻia, e hoʻokumu ana i nā ʻano hou, he nui, e hāʻawi ana i ka waiwai ʻaʻole i ʻike ʻia ma mua. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Gula he papahana kupaianaha, mahalo ʻia e hāʻawi i ka pōmaikaʻi nui a hoʻoneʻe i nā palena o ka hana noʻeau, ka ʻepekema, ka hoʻolālā a me ka ʻenehana. Hoʻāla ka hoʻolālā AUM British Building Ke Kahua Kulanui i nā manaʻo makemake ikaika, hoʻāla i ka ʻiʻini, hoʻoulu i ka hana noʻeau a hoʻopūliki iā mākou.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This 19th century building was severely damaged during WWII and later fell into disuse. Through EM Architects' design interventions, the building was brought back to life with a renewed purpose to serve Senglea in a new way. As well as restoring the historic fabric in a meticulous fashion, the overall building was also rehabilitated in order to usher the building into the current age whilst at the same time managing to showcase its stunning historic elements. The guiding principle behind this project remained the act of showcasing this heritage building as a protagonist of design.
Dimensions & Packaging: Building is 19.6 high, 194m wide, 15.6m deep
Tags: Restoration, rehabiliation, heritage, industrial, university
Production Technology: Contemporary materials were chosen purposely so as to be visually distinguishable from the original historic fabric. This distinction is essential in order to delineate the contemporary interventions within the important timeline of this building. At its inception, this building was born out of golden Globigerina Limestone and raw steel elements, showcasing the fusion between the British Neo-Classical style and local quarried materials.
Design Challenge: The main challenge of this project presented itself in the form of an existing dilapidated building, whereby its extensive character and value had been left to decay. The means by which this challenge was overcome was by successfully ushering this building into the contemporary age whilst also preserving and highlighting its original character. New volumes had to be created within and onto the existing historical fabric which was no small challenge.
Research: Our design began with analyzing the past history and also current situation of the area, to ensure that the restoration of such buildings would also serve to accelerate the urban regeneration of the entire area. Various historical documents, for example the text "The Malta Grand Harbour and Its Dockyard" by Bonnici and Cassar and drawings were analysed, including maps dating back to the 1840s.
Inspiration: The building's rich industrial past served as the main source of inspiration which informed the majority of design decisions taken throughout the design process. This was reflected in the intentionally exposed services of the building. The selection of raw materials and the choice to retain original structural elements, such as the voltini ceilings and the exposed riveted steel beams, emphasised this industrial feel. Another integral factor which shaped the restoration and rehabilitation of this historic building was the harnessing of sustainable initiatives in various forms.
Project Duration: Works at Triq Dom Mintoff, Bormla, commenced in November 2016 and were completed by March 2019.
Operation Flow: Our design incorporated the creation of 13 classrooms, 4 laboratories, 1 cafeteria, 1 library, 18 offices, 1 internal garden and 2 receptions, through minor alterations and the construction of additional floors. The cafeteria, which ensures that part of the building remains accessible to the public, also houses the restored original machinery of the building, thus incorporating these historical elements seamlessly within the new contemporary designs.
Team Members: Edwin Mintoff
Pietro Di Raimondo
Mario Scicluna
Image Credits: Photographer: Alan Carville