play on cranes

This is a slightly crude collage playing with the idea that public art and play structures could be inspired by the freeport cranes. The play sculptures come from the Parque de los Deseos, Medellin, Colombia.

An Uncommon Guide To Birzebbuga

Birzebbuga has been ruined in many ways, which is why few people would recommend you visit it. It is for the same reason that this place is so interesting; this is where the island’s dirty laundry hangs, revealing stories of war, colonization and corruption, telling of a place that feels forgotten by its own country. Give Birzebbuga some attention and you will learn more about Maltese identity than in any other place.

(click on the map to view full size)

The map outlines a rough route along the town’s promenade, it is purposely fragmented, pointing out details and leaving others for you to discover. Use it to explore, it will reveal anecdotes and secrets. Wander off its proposed route and discover some for yourself…

Explore the area and look out for scars from every period in Maltese history: this area is rich in pre-historic settlements and Megalithic Temples. It was the first place to be inhabited by the Phoenicians, houses the remains of a Roman Villa and is scattered with fortifications built by both the Knights of St.John and the British during WW2. More recently it has been heavily impacted by the large amount of industry thrown its way and has seen a massive influx of asylum seekers due to the proximity of the Immigration Detention Facilities. 

1. As you walk along the promenade keep an eye on the Freeport, a transshipment hub built in 1988, its large cranes cannot be missed. It is indisputably the landmark of the town, whether the inhabitants like it or not. The Freeport is quite a spectacle; dancing cranes, clumsy container liners turning in the bay, and the ‘lego-land’ repetitive patterns made by the piled up containers. It has an industrial beauty about it. Yet bear in mind that this has completely taken over every view from the town, it obscures the natural horizon, fills the bay with the echoing sound of clanking containers, and at night it floods it with yellow light. This heavy stamp of international shipping has marked Birzebbuga and its inhabitants so deeply, yet none of these containers are destined for Malta, they are stopping here in-transit. The Freeport seems a poignant reminder of much of Malta’s relationship with the rest of the world: that of being a well positioned rock - a convenient harbor, an aircraft carrier and now a concrete strip on which to leave containers.

2. On a quiet Summer’s afternoon set up your umbrella in a dilapidated hotel (accessed from the St. George’s Bay promenade). This used to be a wedding reception venue, which newlyweds would leave by boat, heading straight to Gozo for their honeymoon.

3. Swim in the shadow of the 18th century Ferretti battery.

4. Enjoy the rare moments when you can see the horizon.

5. Dream of ancient civilizations, investigate the deep wells and cart-ruts cut into the limestone seabed of St.George’s Bay. Is this where the name Birzebbuga comes from? (Bir=well, zebbuga=olive)

6. Wonder at the crazy juxtaposition of the large gas tanks towering behind pretty little houses. These were originally built by British Petroleum and are now in use by Enemalta Corporation, Malta’s main suppliers of electricity and gas.

7. In December 1989, a few weeks after the fall of the Berlin wall, Bush and Gorbachev met on a soviet cruise ship in this bay and declared the end of the cold war. Malta was chosen because of its position at the centre of the Mediterranean - where East meets West and North meets South. However the choice of location and Bush’s idea to meet on a ship was not the best of combinations, because of the bad weather – the summit became known as the ‘seasick summit’.

8. Imagine what the town used to look like. Stop and admire the ‘villeggatura’ (holiday homes) lining the seaside. Birzebbuga was once a small settlement of these pretty little two-storey houses. These ‘villaggatura’ houses once existed all over the island’s coastal towns but many have been demolished for the construction of flats or hotels. Take them in, who knows how much longer they will be here for.

9. Get political. Walk around the town's dilapidated waterpolo club. Ask a local how it ended up this way.

10. Kalafrana, where the Freeport now stands, used to be a British seaplane base, and so Birzebbuga transformed into a strip full of the bars and entertainment facilities necessary to keep the officers happy. Look around town for the Lido Cinema and other remnants of this period.

11. Buy Malta's best fish and chips from Borda's and eat them on a bench by the sea.

12. Find the perfect fishing spot.

13. Listen to the dead silence during a Bocci tournament on a Summer's evening.

14. Sit by the salt-pans and let the ground and walls reveal their stories to you. This area known as Wied il-Buni used to house two British Gun posts, a large defense wall and moat. Part of the wall is visible behind the Bocci Club and if you study the ground closely you can make out the footprints of the gun posts.

15. Drink a cisk, eat some hobz biz-zejt (preferably sitting on a metal chair) and watch the Freeport - its cranes, containers and ships.

The above is my entry in the Uncommon: Malta and Gozo, for more information check out the Uncommon Guide Book Blog:     uncommonguidebook.tumblr.com

And for a review of the book:    maltatoday.com.mt/whats_on/uncommon-malta/book-review-uncommon-malta-and-gozo

Or simply watch someone flick through the book: designyoutrust.com/2011/07/21/uncommon-guide-book-malta-gozo

The Lido Cinema needs YOUR help!

I hear that the Lido Cinema in Birzebbuga is to be demolished - is there nothing we can do? Please post your ideas...

Birżebbuġa Waterpolo Club

- or what's left of it

The club's dilapidated state is a result of being rendered unusable following the construction of the Freeport; the regular dredging of the sea bed and the movement of large ships in the bay caused the seawater outlets of the pitch to block up, filling the pitch with debris and rendering the water unsuitable for swimming. The pitch and the club were closed and the club house demolished.

find out more about the club and its story at:  http://birzebbugawaterpolo.webs.com

Details from the plan

At the request of Geraldine Holland, one of my trusted followers, I have posted some images showing details of the plan below. The images are chosen and ordered to convey a journey along the promenade.

In the image above the promenade is hot, without shade, to draw the stroller on...

Above it is divided into 3 paths; at the top the stroller walks by the street, completely cut off from the sea and the Freeport - protected from views and shaded from the sun. In the middle a platform looks out to the view - with information on the Freeport and its relationship to the rest of the World. Below at sea level are the existing salt-pans, the limestone coast and a long pier.

Above, the division continues... In the middle is a space that is cut off from views, it looks inwards towards itself - whilst the spaces above and below look out - to the street and the sea.


The journey culminates at the large stage, which rises out of the landscape and faces the Freeport, then stepping down towards it in the salt-pan inspired landscape.



And finally a swimming pool - I think this will have to move due to the Freeport extension...

Extension to the Freeport

click on the image below to see a larger version, or click on the following link to read the article online (with very heated comments from the public):
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100130/local/bbugia-extension


The extension to the Freeport is interesting for obvious reasons - because it will directly affect the site and its residents. But more interestingly it presents an opportunity for planning gain - a system whereby the developers would be required to develop a project alongside the Freeport extension that would benefit the local community(a system similar to Section 106 in London).

This project aims to give value back to the area. I am interested in finding an architectural way of saying, 'the freeport, gas plants etc etc exist and they are not going anywhere, whether we like it or not. This is the new landscape of the area - cranes, containers, etc.. and there is no hiding it - How can we face up to it, acknowledge it and make this town a better place?". It would be perfect if this were to be funded by the freeport - even if only in theory.

To quote a project friend and x-resident of Birzebbuga "in Birzebbuga (and the South in general) the citizens have suffered environmentally by Power Station on Marsaxlokk, Freeport, Gas Bottling Plants, Factories in Hal Far, Concrete Plants, Cargo Groupage bonded stores, illegal immigrant tents and very few embellishments and leisure facilities. If the Freeport were to contribute to a better life, tourism and leisure in Birzebbuga it would win many points, even politically."

A Landscape inspired by Salt-Pans

Creating a landscape of platforms and pools for the public to inhabit.

The rectangular shapes and plays with volumes, edges and stepping are inspired by the salt-pans and terraced fields that make up the Maltese landscape.

Here the rectangular shapes are extruded from the landscape or cut into it, to form platforms and pools.

There will be different sized places, for different types of use. Some for hiding in, others for rising above. Some sized for whole extended families, others for individuals.

Memories on the Site

Once the site was chosen and briefs were starting to come forward from all the research, as outlined in the posts below, it was time to bring back the memory map and use it to inform the architecture...

The memory map (shown below) was drawn at the start of the project. It was my attempt to capture all my memories and nostalgias of Malta, and accordingly was drawn from my memory whilst I was away in London. An interesting language began to emerge, a language that described Malta, and captured the unique places and spaces that formed the backdrop to my memories there.

I made copies of the map, cut them up and placed them over the site. The character of the places I had previously drawn now described the places that I wished to design.
The resultant collage is shown below. It describes the typically Maltese spaces existing in the town; the church square, townhouses, blocks of flats, villeggiatura houses, terraced fields and valleys...

collage of my memories of Malta, placed over Birzebbuga.

Below is a detail of the drawing at Wied Il-Buni. Here the collage is no longer describing what's there, but its describing what could be there. The Maltese spaces from my memories are placed over the site, they describe a journey; long straight followed by circular spaces to turn in.

detail of collage, showing the site at Wied il-Buni

Next to interpret what the essence of these spaces from my memories of Malta is, and how they will be translated into the architecture of the site!

Extract from Birzebbuga Local Council Website

Below is an extract from the Birzebbuga Local Council Website. It gives a clear indication of the problems that Birzebbuga is faced with. It also gives some insight into the nostalgia and loss felt by the residents. Finally one is given an idea what the mayor's wish for the town is - although this is quite a vague, a notion rather than a proposal.

" The Mayor of Birzebbuga is Joseph Farrugia... he has lived in Birzebbuga all his life and he has seen this once small seaside village change the what it is now.

As a boy he can remember Birzebbuga as a lovely seaside village,... As time passed Birzebbuga began to be developed.

It first started with British Petroleum who built a huge fuel installation, which has become part of Enemalta Corporation. This was followed by the naval station at Kalafrana, and then the Air Force Base at Hal-Far. Since then we now have the underground fuel installation at Wied Dalam; gas tanking at Qajjanze (northern Birzebbuga); Malta International Airport 32.End runway which starts from the southeast of Birzebbuga, the Malta Freeport and, finally the Power Station.

Till now every Maltese Government we have had has tried to create even more industry and facilities on this southern side of Malta, despite the ever-increasing level of pollution levels. I do not blame any of these governments because the intention was always to create jobs. No one foresaw that we would be faced with an ever increasing level of pollution that these accidents industries, including installations have created.

The petrol tanks...are surrounded by residential homes and the fumes, which leak into the environment lead to sickness and nausea, besides the threat of living very close to a time bomb.

The flight path of Malta International Airport is directly over the town, and aircraft fly in all day and all night, with their approach being very low. This creates, not only noise pollution, for the whole town, but the residents living in the flight path suffer from lack of sleep and continual disturbance.

The Freeport was built to encourage trade and industry. It created jobs and gives security to many people. Once again, it was built in a residential area, albeit opposite has created the coastline. In fact, the site used was the Kalafrana naval station. The pollution this has created is excessive noise at night with total disregard for the residents, especially when containers are either dropped or banged together; the generators, which are used for power, and sea pollution, again regardless of the fact that Birzebbuga is a seaside resort with its own hotel.

The Power Station was built to provide electricity to the southern part of Malta. The pollution this creates is one of black dust emissions, which fills the air and covers the houses with black dust.

Many of the residents, especially the children, suffer from asthma and bronchial related illnesses because of the excessive air pollution. They also suffer from lack of concentration at school due to being distributed at night by both air craft and Freeport.

Today, Birzebbuga has endured a great deal of damage to its way of life. Mr. Farrugia that it is not enough to compensate the residents by building of a new road, which will not benefit anyone, or planting trees which will have no effect on their lives. Drastic action is needed to be taken to solve this problem of pollution in order to give the residents a better quality of life and a cleaner environment for the benefit of the children.

It is the Mayor’s wish that the people of Birzebbuga who have lost entirely the clean environment, which the old folk used to enjoy, will be compensated in such a way that benefits them for the rest of their lives. The Mayor, and his fellow Councillors acknowledge very seriously that what Birzebbuga has lost can never be regained, but they can save what has not been lost and which is still good. "

taken from: http://www.birzebbugalc.com/History_1.html

The Local Scale vs The Freeport Scale

I have had to draw and re-draw the site because it is so difficult to communicate the scale of the freeport. It is larger than the whole town in plan, and it towers above it. The drawing above is an attempt to communicate the size of the freeport when compared to the town. The freeport is purposely overpowering, visible from miles away. Whilst the town is small and detailed, one needs to get up close to look at it.

How can the scale of the town be reinforced against this enormous stamp of industry?

To the residents of Birzebbuga!

If you had the opportunity to propose any sort of public building/space/facility for Birzebbuga, especially Wied Il-Buni area what would it be?

What does the town/people need?

What could help your local community?

What would make you proud?

The Freeport

One of the most loud and unignorable changes to the scenery of Birzebbugia is the addition of the Freeport (a transhipment hub built in 1988) - it cannot be missed: it is the part of the coast that looks man-made; grey with hard edges. Large cranes loom in the background of almost every sea view from the town. And even when not by the sea the loud banging and clanking of the containers being stacked remind one of its ever-presence, and 24-hour activity.
I have chosen a site that faces the freeport. It is the limestone coast to the left of the picture below:

Below is a view of the freeport with the site in the background at the top right hand corner:

Below is a view of the freeport from the site:

Birzebbuga and the South

Birzebbuga is located in 'the South' as the Maltese call it, but it's actually the South East of the Island. The image below is of the port areas of the 'South'. The bay to the North East of the large harbor area is the fishing village of Marsaxlokk, further South and to the West is Birzebbuga.

The reason I find this area of interest is because it is somewhat ignored or forgotten by the general Maltese public, so many Maltese people hardly ever venture to the South - which is incredible considering the island is only 27 km at its longest.
Like the rest of Malta it has undergone much change, it is dense with layer upon layer of Mediterranean history: It is rich in pre-historic settlements and Megalithic Temples. It was the first place to be inhabited by the Phoenicians. Houses the remains of a Roman Villa. Is scattered with fortifications built by the Knights and later other built by the British. It was the site of a British Military Base and so the village transformed into a center full of the bars and entertainment necessary to keep the Naval officers happy.
The area has continued to have layers and functions placed over it since the island's independence and through having much industry thrown its way. And more recently the area has seen a massive influx of assylum seekers due to the positioning of the Immigration Detention Facilities.

Related Links:
http://www.birzebbugalc.com/History_1.html
http://malta-prettybay.blogspot.com/
http://malta-gc.blogspot.com/
http://www.freeport.com.mt
http://www.globaldetentionproject.org/countries/europe/malta/introduction.html