Director: Architect Norbert Gatt B.E.&A.(Hons), Spec. Restoration (Rome), A.&C.E.
The Restoration Directorate is the main government entity responsible for the implementation and execution of restoration, rehabilitation and conservation interventions on historical buildings, which are also primarily public property. The Restoration Directorate also offers specialized assistance to various public entities and institutions, including ministries, local councils, departments, agencies and non-governmental organizations. It operates from its offices and workshops at the Ospizio Complex in Floriana and brings together an experienced team of professionals, technicians and hands-on workers with specific know-how in restoration techniques. Backed by an administrative arm, the Directorate, which also incorporates the Rehabilitation Projects Office, has a total staff complement of over 160 personnel.
The Restoration Directorate is responsible for carrying out restoration projects, from documentation and design phase to site implementation phase, either through the in-house human resources or by outsourcing. Apart from the documentation, overall project management and supervision phases, which are common to both implementation processes, outsourcing of works also entails preparation, publication and evaluation of public tenders. All documentation in preparation for restoration interventions is carried out in-house, using high-end laser scanning equipment.
Over the years, the Restoration Directorate has carried out numerous restoration works on many prominent historical sites and buildings, amongst which one finds the Grand Master's Palace, the National Library, the Auberge de Castille, and the St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, as well as numerous other palaces and churches. Between 2009 and 2015, the Directorate implemented a major restoration project involving the historic fortifications of Valletta, Mdina, Vittoriosa, Senglea and the Gozo Citadel, co-financed as part of the European Regional Development Fund programme 2007-2013. This project also involved the planning, design, establishment and running (up until 2018) of a visitor interpretation centre (known as The Fortress Builders) dedicated to the history of Maltese fortifications.
The Restoration Directorate is currently involved in other major projects under the ERDF 2014-2020 funding Programme. These include the Malta International Contemporary Art Space (MICAS) in Floriana; and the Regeneration of the Grand Master’s Palace, the Rehabilitation of the Old Abattoir into the Valletta Design Cluster in Valletta, and the Rehabilitation of the Notarial Archives, all in Valletta.
The Restoration Directorate is committed to continue retaining its leading role in the restoration scene in Malta.