AUM British Building Universitetscampus by Edwin Mintoff

Gull Kulturarv · 2020

AUM British Building Universitetscampus

by Edwin Mintoff

A' Design Award i Gull 2020 in Kulturarv
CLIENT: Aum
Estimated Number of Design Views: 42,601
Verification code 54570E2EE4 · Verify this award

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release

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About AUM British Building Universitetscampus

AUM British Building er en universitetscampus skapt i en fredet bygning fra 1800-tallet i Senglea. Bygningen ble alvorlig skadet under andre verdenskrig og gikk senere ut av bruk. Den historiske bygningsmassen ble omhyggelig restaurert, og strukturen ble rehabilitert for moderne bruk. Campusen inneholder klasserom, laboratorier, kontorer, et bibliotek, en innvendig hage og en kafeteria som holder åpent for publikum. Moderne materialer ble valgt for å forbli visuelt adskilt fra den opprinnelige bygningsmassen. Synlige tekniske installasjoner og naglede stålbjelker minner om den industrielle fortiden.

About the A' Design Award i Gull

AUM British Building Universitetscampus er vinner av A' Design Award i Gull, en enormt prestisjefylt anerkjennelse som tildeles førsteklasses, praktfulle og enestående design. Gullvinnere er usedvanlig nyskapende, visjonære og glamorøst blendende skaperverk som gjenspeiler designernes geni, visdom og dyktighet. AUM British Building Universitetscampus forventes å være en høyt rost, trendsettende og monumental oppfinnelse som gir enestående verdi. Dette designet, som har vunnet A' Design Award i Gull, er et spektakulært, respektert prosjekt som i høy grad gagner og flytter grensene for kunst, vitenskap, design og teknologi. AUM British Building Universitetscampus skaper intense følelser av begjær, vekker lidenskap, oppmuntrer til kreativitet og fascinerer oss.

Press Kit

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.
Image Credits: Photographer: Alan Carville