Feedback from delegates shows that CIOB’s recent International Heritage Conference in Malta was seen as a great success.
Held at the Phoenicia Hotel in Valletta at the start of November, the event featured presentations from speakers at the top of their field in the UK and Malta. It was backed up by some first-class site visits showcasing planned work, work in progress and completed projects on some diverse and complex historic sites.
These examples demonstrated how sustainable adaptation can be successfully achieved without undue compromise to conservation principles.
Delegates experienced behind-the-scenes tours of the Grandmaster’s Palace, MUŻA art gallery, Valletta Design Cluster and Esplora science museum.
During the conference delegates learned about: structural impacts and mitigation; cooling buildings – taking advantage of traditional methods in Mediterranean countries; the conservation process; lessons learned from Italy; a Maltese vision for industrial heritage; and why using historic buildings makes good business sense.
On the final day, a panel discussion provided an opportunity to discuss international examples of good practice – and to debate the next steps. The challenge now is to pass on the learning to a wider European audience, so that traditional Maltese approaches can be utilised further afield.
