AUM British Building Te Puni Whare Wānanga by Edwin Mintoff

AUM British Building Te Puni Whare Wānanga by Edwin Mintoff is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 A' Design Award Koura in Hoahoa Taonga Tuku Iho me te Ahumahi Ahurea Competition Category.

KouraTaonga Tuku Iho· 2020

AUM British Building Te Puni Whare Wānanga

by Edwin Mintoff

Client: Aum

A' Design Award Koura Winner in Taonga Tuku Iho Category

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Colors

The Design

About AUM British Building Te Puni Whare Wānanga

Ko te AUM British Building he puni whare wānanga i hangaia i roto i tētahi whare taonga tuku iho nō te rautau 19 i Senglea. I tino pakaru te whare i te Pakanga Tuarua o te Ao, ā, i muri mai ka mahue noa. I āta whakahoutia te hanganga tawhito, ā, i whakaoratia anō te whare mō ngā whakamahinga o nāianei. Kei roto i te puni he akomanga, he taiwhanga rangahau, he tari, he whare pukapuka, he māra ā-roto, me tētahi wharekai e tuwhera tonu ana ki te marea. I kōwhiria ngā rawa hou kia mārama tonu te rerekētanga ā-kanohi mai i te hanganga taketake. Ko ngā ratonga e kitea ana me ngā kurupae rino kua whakapiritia ki te riwete ka whakamaumahara ki te hītori ahumahi o mua.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Koura

Ko AUM British Building Te Puni Whare Wānanga te toa o te A' Design Award Koura, he whakaaetanga tino whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa kōeke tuatahi, whakamīharo me te hiranga. Ko ngā toa Koura he mahi tino auaha, he tirohanga mamao, he kanapa ahi, e whakaatu ana i te pūmanawa, te mātauranga me te tohungatanga o ā rātou kaihoahoa. E tūmanakohia ana ko AUM British Building Te Puni Whare Wānanga he hanganga tūnga e whakatū ana i ngā ia, he whakanuia rawa, e kawe mai ana i te uara kāore anō kia kitea. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Koura he kaupapa whakamīharo, whakahonoretia e whakawhānui ana i ngā rohe o te toi, te pūtaiao, te hoahoa me te hangarau. Ka whakaara a AUM British Building Te Puni Whare Wānanga i te hiahia nui, ka whakaoho i te kaingākau, ka whakatenatena i te auaha, ā, ka whakamīharo i a tātou.

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