Conservationist Urges Robert Abela To Protect White Rocks Barracks
Architect and conservation expert Edward Said has called on Prime Minister Robert Abela to ensure the preservation of the modernist barracks at the White Rocks complex as part of the government’s newly announced national park project, according to a MaltaToday report.
While welcoming the government’s plan to designate the area as a national park, Said called for the preservation of the modernist buildings constructed in the 1960s, arguing they form an important part of Malta’s architectural heritage.
In a letter addressed to Abela, as well as the Planning Authority, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, and relevant NGOs, Said appealed for the full protection and restoration of the site’s modernist Officers’ Married Quarters.
Abela announced on Tuesday that the government would withdraw all public calls for development in the area and instead ensure that the White Rocks site is converted into a national park.
Said noted that the barracks, built under the supervision of the War Office Works Directorate in the 1960s, remain structurally sound despite years of neglect and could be repurposed for educational or community use.
Heritage NGO Din l-Art Ħelwa has backed Said’s proposal. He also highlighted that later additions from the site’s 1980s conversion into a hotel resort have little historical or architectural value and could be removed.
Said concluded by offering to contribute further research and consultation, expressing his readiness to meet with the prime minister and project officials to help guide efforts to preserve the site’s cultural and architectural significance.