Din l-Art Ħelwa has produced a publicity video to press its argument that the only British barracks in Gozo, located in Fort Chambray, should be saved from demolition.

The Planning Authority is due to decide the fate of the historic building next month. The fort’s developers are seeking to demolish the barracks to use the site for maisonettes for prospective private buyers.

But Din l-Art Ħelwa insists that the 1898 building is still in a very salvageable state and should be fully preserved and restored.

"Demolishing this important and unique building would result in the loss of a significant part of Gozo’s history," it says. 

“We must protest against this travesty driven solely by the pursuit of profit and financial gain by developers.”   

The portico of the married quarters barracks.

In July, around 1,400 individuals formally objected to the barracks’ demolition.

Despite being abandoned for decades, the building is anything but as derelict, as the “overzealous” developers are insisting, the NGO said.

The building remains in a remarkably good condition, a testament to the craftsmanship of renowned Gozitan master mason Vitor tal-Qanfuda (Victor Vella), from Żebbuġ, who also built the basilica of Ta’ Pinu and was involved in the construction of many churches and buildings in Gozo and Malta. 

The video tour of the barracks shows viewers why it must be saved.

Unique in Gozo, it boasts distinct characteristics due to its particular location and historical context within a fortification dating back to the Knights’ period.

Quoting a Times of Malta article by Fr Charles Cini, the video questions why these barracks were never listed for preservation by the State. 

“All similar barracks in Malta have been scheduled. Why is Gozo’s history being neglected by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage? How can our Gozitan members of the Maltese parliament and the new Gozitan MEP allow this to happen? Where is our opposition party? Where is the Għajnsielem local council?” the NGO asked.

In April, Din l-Art Ħelwa Għawdex, Wirt Għawdex and Għawdix – the Coalition of Gozo – requested its long overdue scheduling.

The Gozitan eNGOs had said the processing of planning applications should be suspended until the scheduling application procedure is fully processed. An emergency conservation order should also be issued in the meantime to safeguard the barracks and the fort from further destruction.

The British barracks built within the fort, built centuries earlier by the knights. Photo: NGO Għawdix.

The NGO also argued that it was not enough for the developers to state that they would salvage the barracks portico.

"Simply salvaging the barracks façade arches and attaching them to a modern aparthotel is not an acceptable solution, and the proposal to detach this portico from the main building as if it was an accretion to it was “misleading and insensitive”, it reiterated.

The proposal to demolish the rest of the barracks and describe it as “derelict” is also misleading when it could and should be restored as the only British Barracks in Gozo.

The military married quarters barracks are considered to be one of the earliest such structures in the former British empire.

The two-storey building is located in the fort’s enceinte and is distinguished by the use of local Globigerina limestone, which imbues the structure with a warm, natural hue.

Its architecture is characterised by a rhythmic repetition of arched doorways on the ground floor and arched openings on the upper floor, lending the façade a sense of continuity and understated elegance, the video shows. 

It also outlines the purpose of the married quarters and the lifestyle at the time. Designed to accommodate married soldiers and their families, the quarters consisted of spacious living spaces. They exemplified the practical and modest design associated with military housing during that period.

An earlier video in July also showed the interior of the married quarters to be in an “excellent” condition despite being abandoned for decades and exposed to the elements, with most doors and windows removed.  

Although it is more than 125 years old, it is in a better shape than many modern buildings, said activist Daniel Cilia about its resilience.