Architect Richard England sees a black hole ahead in the path of the construction machine. He spoke to Fiona Galea Debono.

Richard England’s most recent publication, Chambers of Memory, is the closest he could get to penning an autobiography, but in speaking about his past, he also indirectly sheds light on the present – and, quite frankly, it is “not as good”.

In fact, it is probably worse than that: “We have lost the plot,” he says categorically. “We are on a pathway to a black hole and it’s not going to change, because construction is a money-making machine… unless the bubble bursts, which I think it will. Meanwhile, people have money in their pockets and are not interested in what is happening at the top.”

As for the future: “Sadly, I don’t think we are going to leave any heritage and legacy that is in any way equivalent to that left by our forefathers.”

Without much nostalgia and emotion, Prof. England harks back to the youth in the 1960s, saying it was the first time people forgot World War II and the future looked so positive. “I remember Malta as a virgin… which implies that it is now a whore.”

When the idea to write an autobiography was floated by family members, who joked about him doing it before dementia set in, he rejected it, saying it would be nothing but ‘autofiction’ – a means to “flex my muscles and say that if it were not for me, the world would have been a worse place”.

But he is not out to boost his ego. “Architects need more eco than ego”, he says later on.

The end result contains the 81-year-old’s memories about what influenced him, his mentors, the places he visited, the books he read, those who passed away, which are becoming more frequent, as well as humorous anecdotes to “pepper it up”.

Giving credit to his great masters, who taught him the intellectual and philosophical side to architecture, he says a building can either make you happy or ruin your life.

Quoting blind Argentinian author Jorge Luis Borges, Prof. England says that when asked why he travelled, the writer replied: “It is more important to feel a place than to see it.”

It is also more important how a building influences us than how it looks, Prof. England continues, though both concepts seem to be alien today. And his belief that architecture should enhance the spirit and uplift the soul is even more outlandish.

I remember Malta as a virgin… which implies that it is now a whore

Architecture is about commodity, firmness and delight, he explains, quoting Roman architect Vitruvius. But if the focus is on the first two qualities only, they merely add up to construction – what Malta is “littered” with.

Recently asked to talk about the state of architecture on the island, he corrected the question, saying it was the state of the “building industry”.

Against the concentration of high-rise buildings in one area, he highlighted the problems of infrastructure and traffic that inevitably arose around them. Referring to Sliema, he said the towers in the area would mean thousands more occupants, and therefore, thousands more cars on the streets, which could not be widened – even though that was not the solution to the traffic problem anyway.

“The problem is not the parking spaces but getting these cars to move into and out of the underground car parks altogether at around the same time,” he pointed out, adding that it would also be impossible to cope with a fire.

Then there was the issue of building a tower in the same way that you do a five-storey building and adding floors to it. “It doesn’t work that way!”

While he was not against development and the need to go high, Prof. England has been harping on the fact that it would have been better to have a mini Manhattan and plan the roads and infrastructure around it.

But the problem with the Planning Authority was that it did not want a master plan as it would not be convenient to have to stick to it. Developers got permits and set the so-called standards, Prof. England says of the scenario, which is merely a money-making machine – a point he had already laboured during an interview a decade ago when he turned 70.

The only difference is that, back then, he had said: “Not all is lost. Malta is still in time to save things.

“Take SmartCity,” he had said 10 years ago. “Let’s hope the architect is smart. It is a chance in a million to produce something great.” And the rest is history…

“We know the price of everything and the value of nothing,” Prof. England points out. “Some developments are so out of scale that they just do not make sense,” he continues, referring to the St George’s Bay and Paceville area. 

The Planning Authority does not want a master plan as it would not be convenient to have to stick to it

But it was not only the fault of architects; they needed to have good clients. In fact, the best architecture was coming from the younger generations, who were working mainly with individuals building their own homes.

“My own best clients over the last few years have been the Church and institutions that have to do with the spiritual aspect.”

Prof. England’s study is covered in his intricate pen drawings. And he is already working on another book about Lazarus, “one of the most frustrating persons you could ever come across…

“The bastard spent four days in the afterlife, and when he came back, he told us nothing!”

It is a “fascinating” story; Jesus’s most important miracle, which Prof. England recounts in his upcoming publication, together with what he envisages had happened during that time in the tomb.

The architect may not see a sign of life at the end of that black hole. Nevertheless, he is not depressed about the situation, being forever an optimist.

“But I am disappointed to see my native land, which I love, and which inspired me with its unique heritage, gradually destroying the very spirit of the place.

“I can do my reading and my writing and listen to my music, which in a way are an escape. I can block my ears and speak my mind. I don’t wish to sound arrogant, but I have made my contribution.”

Prof. Richard England recently spoke at the Architecture Alive talks, organised by studjurban and supported by Places: Design & Living magazine, an Allied Newspapers publication. The next in the series of talks by leading international architects will be addressed by Claudio Silvestrin on May 18.