Subterranean Valletta.

For the past years, architect Edward Said has been busy researching underground spaces in Valletta. Despite his name being synonymous with the capital, he grew up in Sliema in the 1980s and 90s, two decades during which the town was undergoing large-scale development. He remembers how, as a teenager, together with a friend he would go around houses that were being demolished and collect shutters, stones and other memorabilia, some of which he still has today.

At the time, Sliema was changing. Victorian and Art Nouveau buildings were demolished to make way for modern apartment blocks. Within a couple of decades, the streetscape was completely altered and the locality has nowadays become one of the most densely populated in Malta. Nostalgia still grips the residents as they walk along Tower Road and see the ghosts of the stately houses that once graced it.

A passion for architecture and a growing discontent with the preservation of Malta’s built heritage drove Said towards a career in building conservation. After graduating from university as an architect and civil engineer, he joined the restoration team of the Manoel Island and Tigné regeneration project and began a postgraduate degree in ancient building conservation. He also travelled a lot to see what other countries were doing in terms of conservation.

“Our built heritage is singular, but not all of it. Mdina, for instance, is beautiful, but there are many similar fortified cities in Tuscany and southern Spain. On the other hand, Valletta, the three cities and our prehistoric structures are unique. Unfortunately, our size being what it is, the context of these historical sites is obviously going to be compromised by modern development. Still, things could have been done very differently.”

Said has coined his own term for Sliema’s sprawl-ing over-development – “greedevelopment.”

“People who call the Mandraġġ in Valletta a slum don’t know what they’re talking about – if they want to see a real slum all they have to do is pop down to certain parts of Sliema.”

Many other localities around Malta have been adversely affected by over-development and bad planning. This problem, Said believes, is further augmented by an identity crisis in architecture – very little of what is being built today will be distinguishable as belonging to this era.

“One cannot deny the conveniences of modern architecture, but then it’s down to the ability of the architect and the willpower of the authorities to insist that a certain style is adopted. It doesn’t even need to be a style – it can just be materials. What makes our architecture in Malta unique is our beautiful stone. Why can’t we have more architecture using Maltese stone? This is one of the big advantages of the Renzo Piano project.”

Malta’s architectural heritage consists of more than what meets the eye, and in his latest publication Subterranean Valletta (BDL), Said conducts a comprehensive study of long-forgotten underground spaces, comprising of cisterns, a unique sewage system, air raid shelters and other spaces. Using the 18th-century inventory of Valletta’s cisterns and reservoirs compiled by Romano Carapecchia as a preliminary guide, Said retraced the famed architect’s steps into entities of great architectural and historical importance.

He unearthed some, such as the large reservoir under-neath the Royal Opera House just as the City Gate Project was commencing.

“What’s exciting is that there are many more underground spaces to be rediscovered. One theory – which has yet to be proven, but I’m sure will be soon – is that the Chapel of Bones still exists and is found underneath the car park of the Evans Laboratory building.”

Our underground heritage is all the more special in that it is relatively unspoilt – this necessitates an urgent need for more research on the subject. Said believes that a detailed survey of the subterranean spaces needs to be carried out so that future projects can be planned with these spaces in mind. In the near future, Said is planning to read for a PhD on the sewage and water systems in Valletta.

“Unfortunately, when there is no awareness, damage is done. I head the Sliema Heritage Society and on occasions I have approached people who are carrying out redevelopment projects to tell them that their wooden balcony is unique because of certain features, or that there is an old street sign affixed to their house. More often than not they’re obliging and very keen to learn. As with everything education is important. It might be too late for certain places, but for Valletta, and even more so underground Valletta, which has only recently started to be explored, a lot can still be saved.”

Said has many plans. One day, he hopes to set up a body to act as a reference point for subterranean Valletta and organise underground tours. However, there are only 24 hours in a day and apart from these projects, Said also manages a building conservation consultancy and is the curator of Fort Manoel.

“There is still a lot that can be done to preserve Malta’s built heritage, but unfortunately a lot has been ruined. In my career in building restoration, I hope that I can contribute to helping this cause. Sometimes I drive around Malta and think: “What a mess!” But then, I go to Valletta and my hopes are restored.”