Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1518325
Architecture & Design | 19 A s an addendum to Edward Said's feature on Richard England's demolished or altered 60's hotel in our September 2022 issue we now present a series of works dating from the same era which never saw the light of day. The hotel schemes survived for a few years, but these non-manifest projects may well be termed aborted architectural fetuses. These Architettura Interotta projects belong to England's early Regionalist period. The 60's saw the emergence of a small group of architects who although not renouncing Modernist norms sought to relate their buildings to the history and memory of the places in which their projects were located. Architects Aris Konstantinidis in Greece, Rifat Chadirji in Iraq, Faraoui + de Maziéres in Morocco, B.V. Doshi in India, Geoffrey Bawa in Sri Lanka together with Richard England and a few others sought a Regionalist antidote to the universality of the International Style. These architects believed in a process of thinking globally but acting locally, a continuity within change approach which sought for the creation of an architecture which belonged specifically to place. The illustrated projects demonstrate England's belief in these norms and his attempts to adhere his buildings to site and location. 1. Salina Tower Hotel, 1964 2. Malta Seminary, Iklin, 1969 3. Hotel Mgarr, Gozo, 1966 4. Costa Calypso Tourist Village, Mgarr Gozo, 1966 5. Jesuit Church, Bugibba, 1964 6. Villa Girna, Naxxar, 1966 7. Villa Calypso, Ta' Cenc, Sannat Gozo 1966 All of these projects reflect England's attempt to transform the indigenous architectural typology of the island into something new. According to Chris Abel, award winning architect, author and critic, Richard England's approach in this period was "founded on a deeply felt compulsion, amounting to a sacred duty to respect the sense of place or genius loci that is Malta. As one of the innovative architects of his generation to break early with orthodox Modernism, England has received worldwide recognition". Chris Abel has authored two books on Richard England, Transformations (Mid-Med Bank Limited) and Manikata Church (Academy Editions). Villa Calypso, Ta' CenC, Sannat Gozo 1966 Malta Seminary, Iklin, 1969 Hotel Mgarr, Gozo, 1966 Jesuit Church, Bugibba, 1964 Salina Tower Hotel, 1964 Villa Girna, Naxxar, 1966