Architecture & Design

8 | Architecture & Design against the immeasurable. There are many pathways to God, I have found mine through architecture. Edifices which in a way I harbour an aversion towards are those of my design which have been changed and modified beyond recognition; not so much the totally destroyed ones, of which I still retain photographic documentation. Manifest architecture is temporary while renderings and photographs of buildings live on. It is a paradox that the real is transient and the virtual permanent. WHAT CURRENT MALTA ARCHITECTURE PLEASES YOU AND WHAT HURTS? Malta and regretfully not only in architectural terms, today presents a sordid picture. My generation, which remembers the island before monetary greed and unsightly construction of oversized building projects by mammon worshipping adulterous developers completely destroyed its genius loci can only agonize and lament, but future generations will not even ever know that once their native land was a beautiful island. Form is now dictated by profit. The blame for this catastrophic metamorphosis must lie partially on architects who lend a hand to such projects (especially those who serve simply as maneuvering vehicles to obtain the necessary permits) while more guilt must be allocated to the greedy glutinous developers themselves, and even more so on the shoulders of an all too acquiescent Planning Authority, too often acceding to weighty political leverage. The truth is that we are going through a process which may well be termed 'the uglification of Malta'. The importation of foreign architects with no knowledge of the history, memory or understanding of the genius loci of our island is not the solution. The DB project, the Hadid Tower and the 7478 building all more suitable to a Las Vegas scenario, forcibly make the point. A welcome antidote is Ian Ritchie's low lying Farson's Trident Park sensibly integrated with Louis V Farrugia's excellent 1930's brewery, a fine example of an architect exercising respect and good manners in relation to his building's existing context. Two buildings from the last century also offer admirable examples of an architecture by foreign architects (Hans Munk Hansen & John Madin) who understood and respected the genius loci of the island and modeled their buildings on local vernacular typologies. I refer specifically to the Mellieha Danish Village and the Wardija Tourist complex, both paradigm examples of a successful regionalist architecture. My hope today lies with the handful of established architectural firms who still produce recommendable projects. Examples such as AP Valletta's Phoenicia Hotel Spa Complex, MIDUM's ongoing Gozo Museum, MED Design's innovation Hub grafted to Joseph Huntingford's excellent 1950's Gozo MMU plant and Chris Briffa's Casa Bottega are all too rare and gratifying examples, as are a number of promising talented young architects whose work on private residences promises great things for the future. Government should take heed of them and entrust them with larger schemes. WHO DO YOU ADMIRE AND WHY? There are of course numerous architects I admire, both past and present. The architect of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra whoever he or she was, I hold in the highest esteem as also Sennemut architect of Hatseptsut's extraordinary mausoleum in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt and later the great architects of the Renaissance and Baroque eras, the likes of Brunelleschi, Alberti, Palladio, Borromini, Bernini and Guarini. Locally of that period Lorenzo Gafa and Tumas Dingli feature strongly among my favourites. From the last century to today the choice is more difficult as there are many I hold in high esteem. As a shortlist I would include Luigi Moretti, Carlo Scarpa, Louis Kahn, Denys Lasdun, Jorn Utzon, Alberto Campo Baeza, Carlos Ferrater, Peter Zunthor and for his forging novel forms and pushing architecture to its limits Daniel Libeskind. One architect who in my mind remains unique is the late 20th century Mexican Luis Barragan, a visual poet whose work could well be termed 'an architecture without adjectives'. Rarely has material poverty yielded such richness and provided such elevated levels of spiritual incantation. Echoing the chromatic tradition of his native land in a sparse and sparing architectural language he regaled us with mystical ambiences and paradigm projects to calm, soothe and enchant. He was without doubt the most lyrical, visual sonneteer and minstrel, the likes of whom we are unlikely to see again. Parting words Architects must I believe think globally but act locally and now may well be the time to remind greedy speculators that once the last tree is cut and the last river runs dry, they will not be able to eat their money. Also architects should remember that while there is a time to be bold more often than not there is a time to be humble. With climate change now rampant, stewardship of the earth has become an essential roadmap for the very survival of our species. We need to tread gently on our planet, with architects thinking more of eco than ego. In view of the world's current daunting situation my dream non-pollutive project would be one where the floor is the earth, the walls are the wind and the ceiling is the sky. Aquasun Lido, St Julian's

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