Conrad Thake

Professor Conrad Thake is one of Malta’s leading architects, architectural historians, and urban planners, internationally recognised for his scholarship on the history of Maltese architecture, urban development, and the island’s built heritage. He is a Professor in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Malta, where he teaches and conducts research in architectural history, conservation, and urban studies.

After graduating in Architecture and Civil Engineering from the University of Malta in 1988, Thake pursued postgraduate studies abroad, earning a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Waterloo in Canada and a Ph.D. in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley in 1996. Over the course of his career, Professor Thake has established himself as a leading authority on Malta’s architectural heritage. His research spans the architecture of the Knights of St John, British colonial architecture, modern Maltese architecture, urban planning, and the conservation of historic buildings. He has authored and co-authored numerous influential books, including Malta – The Baroque Island and Malta – War & Peace: An Architectural Chronicle 1800–2000, written with the late Dr Quentin Hughes. Other notable publications include William Scamp: A British Admiralty Architect in Malta, The Ottoman Muslim Cemetery in Malta, Contemporary Architecture in Malta, and Architecture: Visions on Paper – Malta.

Beyond academia, Thake has played an important role in Malta’s planning and heritage sectors. He has served on the Development Control Commission, the Planning Appeals Board, the Valletta Rehabilitation Committee, and other national bodies concerned with heritage conservation and urban development. As a practising architect, he has specialised in the restoration and rehabilitation of historic buildings, advocating a sensitive balance between preserving historic fabric and accommodating contemporary use. Professor Thake has published extensively in international architectural journals and is a member of the International Committee of Architectural Critics (CICA). His research, publications, public lectures, and restoration work have made a significant contribution to the understanding and preservation of Malta’s architectural and urban heritage, earning him recognition both locally and internationally.