Shiny aluminium façades may be considered cringe-worthy and kitsch, but an architect and marketeer are questioning the Planning Authority’s “limiting” blanket ban.

Planning restrictions categorically state that “all apertures and balconies located on the façade(s) of the building shall not be in gold, silver and bronze aluminium”.

This is a standard condition, among others, in what is known as the decision notice of a permit.

But Tias Camilleri De Marco believes it is “time to remove such prescriptive conditions and trust our architects and designers”, effectively turning the maligned material on its head.

Blacklisting aluminium hinders the possibility of replicating the “unique aesthetic” of a “stunning” house the architect and civil engineer stumbled upon in Gozo, describing it as a “beautiful example of local architectural ingenuity”.

Camilleri De Marco was inspired to post an image of the 1970s Gozitan façade on Facebook to showcase the use of bronze aluminium apertures, which he said added a “distinctive and elegant” touch.

A mood board for a burger takeout was inspired by the façades of traditional butcher shops.

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“The perfect blend of grey and pink mosaic/terrazzo with bronze aluminium created a timeless piece,” he maintained, adding it was “testament to the creativity of our architects” and that it was time to reconsider and support local design talent.

The architect believes the ban dated back to when aluminium was introduced to Malta and the only colours were bronze, silver and gold. The “cheaper” option – the only alternative being wood or Crittall windows – was used indiscriminately even in UCAs and historic buildings.

“Given that we now have a multitude of new materials, colours and economies even in the aluminium sector, it may be time we open up the palette again,” he suggested.

“Unfortunately, the current planning restrictions in Malta prohibit the use of bronze, silver or gold aluminium, which I find to be a significant limitation,” he said, arguing that cases like these should be approved on their own merit without need for a blanket ban.

These restrictions not only hinder the creativity of local architects and designers, but also stifle the potential for unique and innovative architectural expressions, said Camilleri De Marco, who is also the vice-president of the Kamra tal-Periti, but was speaking in his own capacity.

Sandro Butcher in Birkirkara

The architect called for the reconsideration of these “restrictions” and the adoption of a more flexible approach to planning.

“By allowing for greater experimentation and innovation, we can foster a vibrant and dynamic architectural landscape,” he continued.

“As Voltaire famously said: ‘I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.’ Similarly, I believe that even if we may not always agree with the outcomes of architectural experimentation, we must defend the right of architects and designers to explore new possibilities.”

Camilleri De Marco said that by “embracing a culture of experimentation and learning from our mistakes, we can, ultimately, achieve aesthetic excellence”.

He acknowledged that not everyone would be appreciative of the style, but it was about giving architects the right of expression and freedom and not telling people what they can and cannot do.

The iconic Coney Island Bar in Victoria

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'Insulting policy'

Describing the policy as “insulting”, Camilleri De Marco said it was “like saying you are not competent enough to do anything good with this material.

“Of all our architects, cannot we trust a single one to use bronze aluminium in a meaningful manner?”

Looking at the broader scenario, the architect described Malta as “a teenager in terms of architectural expression” and needed to go through its “ugly duckling” phase until it found itself.

Instead of rigid plans on heights and the colour of apertures for streets, the focus for the islands should be on a long-term holistic plan on how to “sculpt and mould” its towns, he said.

Camilleri De Marco’s aluminium argument was also raised by Matthew Demarco, co-founder of design and branding studio Bloom Creative, who hit a brick wall when he was tasked to create an “identity” for a burger takeout and proposed a mood board inspired by old Maltese butcher shops.

The aluminium-clad façade of Maxims pastizzeria in Ħamrun.

Demarco tapped into documentation from his Maltatype research project, which records the typography in the public domain, particularly on signage, and is a database resource for part of Malta’s visual identity, aimed at inspiring design work.

He wanted to come up with something contemporary rooted in and “speaks Malta and Malta’s design vernacular”. This led to some old, aluminium-clad façades like Sandro Butcher in Birkirkara, and other “iconic” frontages, such as Maxims pastizzeria in Ħamrun and Coney Island Bar in Gozo. But the idea was shot down when passed on to the project’s architects.

“We were informed that these façade elements could not be considered as they are banned by the PA.”

Demarco feels it is understandable that some materials should not be used in certain circumstances.

However, he too believes that these should be treated on a case-by-case basis and that certain elements, considered kitsch, could be “designed correctly to be celebrated and used as a part of a visual language”.