Kamra tal-Periti (KtP) president Andre Pizzuto has called on the government to ensure that competent professionals head public entities and that quality in public spaces is upheld.
He said the government must take ownership of the degradation of public space and recognise its impact on wellbeing.
The address was part of an award ceremony in which 20 architectural firms and public entities presented their projects to an international jury.
In a context in which architects are regularly criticised for shoddy work and poor design, Pizzuto spoke about the “magic and power of good architecture” and how the difficulties faced by architects in Malta are more accentuated than in other parts of the world due to the very high population density raising the theme of overdevelopment as a primary concern.
He was particularly critical of “public relations schemes” announced by Infrastructure Malta, which, like the “predictable debacle of Project Green’s green walls” before, will only result in a waste of more public funds that will leave no tangible community benefits in the long-term.
Pizzuto also called on the government to take heed of the public’s strong desire to implement the Msida Park project that the KtP proposed in June.
The government dismissed the proposal, but “It is never too late to do what is right,” Pizzuto said.
The KtP president added that the quality of public space has been under attack for years. “It is an attack in which the public administration is the main responsible party. It is guilty of failing miserably to design and manage public space effectively. It is also guilty by design, as it continues to perpetuate policies of private speculation on public land with little to no control.”
He referred to Renzo Piano’s parliament building in the country’s capital, Valletta. “What good does having a building designed by Renzo Piano if we are unable to control the base instincts of the uncouth and uncultured in suppressing the enjoyment of this building by those who understand and respect the magic of architecture?”
He stressed that the government is responsible for recognising the impact of this on the public’s wellbeing and taking real action to address it.
“Public relations schemes will produce no concrete results other than to waste more public funds in short-term projects that will leave no tangible community benefits in the long-term,” he added.