The most iconic modernist industrial building on the island is the monumental Farsons Brewery in Mrieħel. The building was designed in the late 1940s by Lewis Farrugia and was conceived to replace an earlier facility in Ħamrun, also designed by Farrugia.

At the time, the concept and type of building of this scale was unheard of in Malta, especially considering that the country was still in the process of rebuilding after the devastation of World War II.

However, it was also a new beginning, marking a new era of architectural design, where Modernism was well and truly cemented as a prominent architectural concept throughout the world.

The industrialisation of the free world, together with the promotion of an open competitive market in most western countries meant that capitalism was here to stay and so buildings were designed to such a scale that they were considered temples of the industrialised world, one of them being the Farsons Brewery.

The innovation of the building lies in its structure as a purely reinforced concrete frame rather than load bearing masonry as was the norm at that time. This detail is further accentuated in the concrete window frames. The number and size of the windows indicates the architect’s focus on natural lighting and ventilation.

However, its main architectural highlight is the exposed functional copper brewing vats. Their sheer scale highlights the building as a symbol of the long-lasting effect of the industrial revolution.

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority scheduled Farsons Brewery as a Grade 2 building on May 8, 2012.