Interview:

Essay

In this era a lot of styles are being interpreted together and there is no such thing as a new movement apart from being modern. I choose a particular architect Mario Scicluna, which he is currently contributing his work with the Ballut Blocks Services Limited here in Malta. His main job is site manager on constructing projects, and he is also a free lance architect. 

As some of his main inspirations that he mentioned was the Santiago Calatrava which is situated in Valencia. This is basically a cultural complex and consists of several departments in it which are related to science and art. The architect is in no doubt Santiago Calatrava Valls who was born in 28th July 1951. He is a Spanish futuristic architect, hence this marvellous architectural scene, but he is also a structural engineer, sculpture and painter.  This is also considered as 'The City of Arts and Sciences', mainly because it has a domed cinema, a landscaping view port, car park, a science museum, and aquarium and a multifunctional space which is called the 'Agora'. All of these departments and sections are connected together by a public plaza centre and bridges which are situated around the central pool. Alongside this huge architectural project there is a centre piece which is made out of white concrete opera house and has excessive feather like structures in the roof. Sides are done in curved ceramic mosaic tiles. 

The city of Arts and Sciences - Santiago Calatrava Valls

What strikes the architect the most is the connection he finds between the Snatiago Calatrava building and the Malta National Aquarium which is situated in Qawra, Fra Ben area. The two architectural buildings have a modern approach and incorporate curves and structures web-like which combine everything together. One of the architects responsible for the National Aquarium in Malta is Kenneth Borg. This modern architecture in malta  was build in the 2012 and now has fourth-one tanks which have a variety of reptiles, insects and amphibians. the National aquarium is now a days an iconic building in Malta in the form of a giant shell, which forms a star fish. 

Malta National Aquarium  - Qawra

Along with these architectural references, Mr. Scicluna's characteristics often involve vertical lines in which most buildings around are considered as low accentuates heights. His current style, and mainly the two which interest him the most are Art Deco and Post Modernism. Art Deco makes use of vertical lines, maybe some sculpted decoration columns and curves. While post-modernism is a style which went from being very functional and all of its formalized shapes are transformed into diverse aesthetics. The two styles incorporate very bold characteristics such as the curvatures and the some decorative style, but Post Modernism has more sleek and can be more natural and lacks some decorative elements. If the two styles are joined together it would give a very interesting outcome. 

Reference: 

Dezeen. (2015). Calatrava's City of Arts and Sciences is "amazing" says Clooney. [online] Available at: http://www.dezeen.com/2015/05/21/calatrava-city-of-arts-sciences-valencia-tomorrowland-george-clooney-brad-bird/ [Accessed 1 Jun. 2016].

MaltaToday.com.mt. (2011). Ambitious completion deadline for National Aquarium. [online] Available at: http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/13925/ambitious-completion-deadline-for-national-aquarium#.V08djJF97IU [Accessed 1 Jun. 2016].

Aquarium.com.mt. (2016). Malta National Aquarium. [online] Available at: http://www.aquarium.com.mt/about-us/ [Accessed 1 Jun. 2016].