Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1502329
20 | Architecture & Design T he story of Valletta is one of intrigue, struggles and acts of sheer courage. Ever since its foundations were laid by the Knights of the Order of St John centuries ago, Valletta has stood on the front line of Malta's most historic events, evolving into a contemporary capital city that seamlessly blends the present with the past. Yet, this fascinating heritage is not only found above ground. Beneath Valletta's surface, a vast network of subterranean structures still stands as testament to the city's rich history. "The extensive underground labyrinth below Valletta is a treasure of our past. Still in relatively good condition despite being constructed during the time of the Knights, the place has cleverly engineered water and drainage systems, passageways and roads connecting landmark palaces and other important buildings in Valletta. Tunnels also connect shelters that were constructed during World War II – some of which are only a few metres wide," explains Joseph Gauci, Deputy Director for ICT, Mapping and Digital Services at the Planning Authority (PA). "These structures give us important insights into what life must have been like for people back then, so preserving them for future generations is paramount." To do so, the PA, in collaboration with Professor Saviour Formosa from the University of Malta, has embarked on a project that aims to create a 3D model of Valletta's underworld to safeguard its legacy using innovative scanning software. The PA's project's team has sourced specialised equipment and software, including terrestrial data scanners, to gather and process the colossal amount of data and site photographs required to create an accurate model of this kind. "It has been a steep learning curve, which has inspired the development of new techniques and a shift in the way we operate internally," shares Mr Gauci. "Nevertheless, this is a hugely interesting project that will help us determine exactly what lies beneath our capital city – information that is valuable to so many authorities and organisations across Malta." Working with Heritage Malta, the team's findings will also clearly indicate the extent of restoration required to conserve the subterranean structures. Likewise, the launch of the SIntegraM portal in late 2019 officialised the sharing of this data between relevant local authorities. Besides enabling a Villa la Fiorentina in attard by Camilleri mode design studio Piazzetta, Sliema by Martin Xuereb & Associates preservIng the secret hIstory of B e n e a t h V a l l e t t a l i e s a n o t h e r u n i v e r s e , w i t h a h i s t o r y j u s t a s r i c h a n d d i v e r s e a s t h e c a p i t a l c i t y a b o v e i t . M a l t a 's P l a n n i n g A u t h o r i t y n o w s e e k s t o p r e s e r v e t h e l e g a c y o f V a l l e t t a 's u n d e r w o r l d b y c a p t u r i n g i t a s a 3 D m o d e l , a s D e p u t y D i r e c t o r f o r I C T, M a p p i n g a n d D i g i t a l S e r v i c e s J o s e p h G a u c i e x p l a i n s . " These structures give us important insights into what life must have been like for people back then, so preserving them for future generations is paramount " valletta's Under world