Layered Fortification: Mapping the Extant Fabric at St. Gregory’s Curtain Wall of Lower Fort St. Elmo, Malta, from 1551 to 2026 via a Chronological Strati-graphic Physical Model Part 2 Dissertation 2026 David Johnson University of Kent | UK The project responds to the module’s 'Artefact' brief by using physical making as a method of architectural research. The concept centres on creating a 1:200 scale stratigraphic physical model of St. Gregory's Curtain Wall at Lower Fort St. Elmo in Malta—an abandoned historic military site currently facing redevelopment into a hotel and commercial area. The primary aim was to fill a gap in heritage documentation by capturing the fort’s chronological evolution from 1551 to 2026. While existing models at Heritage Malta successfully show specific historical periods or structural materiality of other forts, they fail to connect these points chronologically. To address this, digital 4D modelling methodologies of the Claudian Aqueduct and the concept of Tactichronie used in Krakow's Market Square models where researched. These case studies informed the combination of physical stratification with removable parts, engaging the viewer's haptic senses to make history more tangible than a standard digital image. Because site access was restricted, secondary data, including historical Royal Engineer drawings and satellite photogrammetry, was synthesised to map the wall's fabric. The outcome is a novel educational tool that successfully demonstrates the additive evolution of the fortification. It serves as an active record to guide sensitive conservation and improve public heritage education. Critically evaluating this process, the project concludes by proposing future iterations that use primary LIDAR scans and sturdier, swappable components to represent lost historic structures dynamically. Tutor(s) Rebecca Hobbs