Months of hard work bore fruit when fourth year architecture students were awarded the Tony Mifsud Architecture Award organised by the conservation and environment group, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar in conjunction with Professor Denis de Lucca, head of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Malta
Named after Tony Mifsud who, in the post-war rebuilding drive, was one of the few within the Public Works Department to battle to save the damaged old buildings of Valletta, rather than demolishing them, the award aims to sensitise Malta’s future architects to the particular needs of building in urban conservation areas. To this end, lectures are organised in subjects that the University Architecture students would not normally be exposed to in the course of their normal studies. This year’s edition of the award presented the students with the challenge of reconstructing a post-war building in Valletta, to be used as a library, media communications centre, fashion expo palace or an extra theatre space.
Since the aim of the award is to challenge students to find solutions for current problems, the students were also asked to submit proposals for the remodelling of Republic Street shop fronts, plans which this year’s award sponsor, Valletta Local Council, hopes to put to good use in the future.
All the students’ project work was on display for public viewing at St George’s Square Valletta, following which winning students Marcia Calleja, Mark Sullivan, Katia Pace, Francois Mangion and Paula Agius received their awards from HE the American Ambassador Douglas Kmiec who explained that the Awards reflect FAA’s commitment to promoting an appreciation of high quality, sustainable architecture, including modern architecture which, with the right sensitivity and interpretation can even harmonise with an old city like Valletta. The US Embassy is sponsoring these awards with a donation of books to the University Architecture Department.
Award winner Francois Mangion receives his award from US Ambassador Douglas Kmiec in the presence of FAA Trustees Sir Martin Laing and Mr. Tony Guillaumier.
Premju tal-Arkitettura FAA/Universita
Xhur ta’ xogħol iebes ħalla l-frott meta studenti tar-raba’ sena fl-Arkitettura ġew ippreżentati bit-Tony Mifsud Architecture Award, organizzat mil-grupp ambjentali u ta’ konservazzjoni, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, flimkien mal-Professur Denis de Lucca, kap tal-Fakulta’ tal-Arkitettura fl-Universita’ ta’ Malta.
Dan l-award hu msemmi wara Tony Mifsud li, fl-eqqel tal-bini li kien iġġarraf bil-gwerra, kien wieħed minn ftit fi ħdan id-Dipartiment tax-Xogħlijiet Publiċi li tħabat biex isalva l-bini mġarraf tal-Belt Valletta minflok ma waqqa’ dak li kien għadu wieqaf. L-għan ta’ dan l-award huwa li joħloq kuxjenza fost l-arkitetti/periti futuri Maltin għall-ħtiġiet partikulari tal-bini f’żoni urbani ta’ konservazzjoni. Għal dan il-għan, qed jiġu organizzati ‘lectures’ fuq temi li l-istudenti tal-Arkitettura fl-Universita’ is-soltu ma jkunux esposti għalihom matul l-istudji normali tagħhom. L-edizzjoni tal-Award ta’ din is-sena ippreżentat lill-istudenti sfida tal-bini mill-ġdid ta’ bini ta’ wara l-gwerra fil-Belt, biex jintuża bħala librerija, ċentru ta’ komunikazzjonijiet tal-midja, palazz tal-wiri tal-moda u spazju addizzjonali tat-teatru.
Minħabba li l-għan ta’ dan l-award huwa li joffri sfida lil studenti biex isibu soluzzjonijiet għal problemi kurrenti, l-istudenti intalbu wkoll biex jissottomettu proposti għat-tfassil mill-ġdid tal-faċċati tal-ħwienet fi Triq ir-Repubblika, pjanijiet li l-isponser tal-award għal din is-sena, li hu il-Kunsill Lokali tal-Belt Valletta, qed jittama li jkun jista’ jagħmel użu minnhom fil-futur.
Il-ħidma kollha ta’ proġetti tal-istudenti inġabret f’wirja apposta għall-publiku fi Pjazza San Ġorġ, il-Belt, u wara, l-istudenti rebbieħa Marcia Calleja, Mark Sullivan, Katia Pace, Francois Mangion u Paula Agius, irċevew l-awards mill-ET l-Ambaxxatur Amerikan, li spjega li l-Awards jirrilettu kif l-FAA intrabtet li tixpruna l-apprezzament ta’ kwalita’ għolja, arkitettura sostenibbli, li tinkludi arkitettura moderna li b’sensitivita’ u interpretazzjoni xierqa, tista’ saħansitra tnissel armonija f’belt antika bħalma hi l-Belt Valletta. L-Ambaxxatur Amerikan qed jisponsorja dawn l-Awards permezz ta’ għotja ta’ kotba lid-Dipartiment tal-Arkitettura fl-Universita’.