Architecture & Design

Architecture & Design | 7 WHAT ARE YOUR EARLIEST MEMORIES OF ARCHITECTURE? I think I must have been around eleven years old when, through a children's 'newspaper', which had been recently launched, called 'Look and Learn', I discovered St.Michael's Cathedral in Coventry, designed by Sir Basil Spence and built between 1956 and 1962, adjacent to the remains of the old Cathedral, which had been badly damaged by bombardment during the Second World War. I think that I decided I was going to become an architect because of that discovery. I remember writing a school essay, about what we wanted to become when we grow up, in which I actually "declared" that I wished to become an architect. Sir Basil Spence eventually settled in Malta, although, unfortunately, I never got to meet him. But for me, he remains one of the greats. The other architectural event which sticks in my memory is a visit to the Church of Manikata, during a typical Sunday drive with my parents, when the construction was not yet completely finished, (probably 1970 or 71), and was therefore quite raw and powerful. This church, designed by a young Richard England, won me over completely. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORK? It is difficult to 'describe' one's work. After I studied architecture, I studied structural engineering, and I suppose this preparation conditions my thinking. During the early years of my preparation, the widely held belief was that if you were good at architectural design, you could not be good at structural engineering, and vice-versa. However, I later discovered that this was not necessarily true, especially in the non-Anglo-Saxon tradition. Continental architect-engineers such as PierLuigi Nervi, or Robert Maillart, or Frei Otto, showed me that good structures were beautiful, and beautiful buildings need a clear structural logic. I therefore admire designers, such as Renzo Piano, Peter Rice, Ove Arup, whose work and philosophy bridge between architectural design and structural engineering. My work, I hope, follows the logic of being true to the materials that one is using, and to the structural forms which are best suited to the particular project, in the quest for good architectural quality. CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ROLE IN DIN L-ART HELWA? AND WHAT CURRENT PROJECTS ARE YOU WORKING ON WITHIN THIS ORGANISATION? I am the Executive President, which means I am the legal representative, and one of the statutory officials of the organisation. I obviously set the Agenda for, and chair, the meetings of the Council, and of the Executive Committee. Din l-Art Helwa has three main roles. First of all, it manages about 15 sites, which it had previously restored, and tries to make these sites available to the public. It also jointly manages another couple of sites, including the Park Majjistral. This depends on volunteers, who dedicate their time to their beloved sites. The second role is that of campaigning in favour of the preservation of our built and natural heritage, and against inappropriate development and policies. This is a laborious, and expensive, task, which starts from screening planning applications, filing objections, following the cases during determination, filing Tribunal appeals, or even going to Court, if we deem it appropriate. The third role is that of salvaging abandoned sites, raising money for their restoration and bringing the sites back to life. This depends on two things. The first, often the most difficult and one that takes longest, is that of getting a Guardianship title, which would then allow us to undertake the second - that of raising funds, from our corporate supporters and other sources, to undertake the work. After years of pushing, late last year we obtained the Guardianship of the so-called Australian Bungalow, which is a timber structure, sadly badly deteriorated, which is a unique relic of the heyday of emigration to Australia. We have raised ca. 30% of the funds, already, but we need to start work in earnest, since the deterioration is proceeding very fast. A few years back we also asked for Guardianship of the Medieval Chapel of San Cir, limits of Rabat, but, although we have all the necessary approvals from the Ministry of Culture, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, and the Planning Authority, we are still waiting for the Lands Authority to approve. We have also expressed interest in a number of other sites, including the Cavallerizza, and the Wied Musa Battery, both in Mellieha, as well as Vendome Battery in Marsaxlokk - we are still at the beginning of a long process for these sites. In truth, Ii do not understand why it i us so difficult for the authorities to agree to allow us to restore such places, and to look after them. AS THE DEAN OF THE FACULTY FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, WHAT IS YOUR ROLE IN PREPARING TOMORROW'S ARCHITECTS FOR THE COUNTRY'S NEEDS IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRY? I have been Dean for nearly fourteen years, and over this period we have gone from a Faculty with two Departments, which offered one five- year bachelor degree course (in engineering and architecture), to a Faculty with seven Departments, ranging from Architecture and Urban Design, to Civil and Structural Engineering, to Conservation and Built Heritage, Construction and Property Management, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure, and others; and offering a range of professional and specialisation courses, at Bachelor and Master level, covering the whole gamut of disciplines impacting our built environment - hence the name of the Faculty that we adopted in 2010. This was my response to the country's needs in an increasingly complex building industry. The logic behind all these changes was to create a system whereby students could appreciate the breadth of the skills required of the actors in the built environment, (architects, civil and structural engineers, planners, conservation professionals, project managers), and could hence choose their particular career path as they discovered, during their time at University, what role they wished to play. The Dean of the Faculty does not necessarily determine the design philosophies adopted by the Faculty students, but my role has been to create the space for students to find their own design My work, I hope, follows the logic of being true to the materials that one is using, and to the structural forms which are best suited to the particular project, in the quest for good architectural quality " "

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