Local popular perceptions towards the built environment

Abstract

The study is an exploration in local cultural influences, and their impact on popular perceptions towards the built environment. It starts by looking into the roots and routes of Malta's exotic identity, by referring to its geographical nature, and vast colonial history. It proceeds to examine how the islanders' attitudes, moulded by centuries of imposition, manifest themselves in the built fabric. The study presents Malta's politico-architectural development as a historical account, starting from the time of the Knights of St John, up to Independence of 1964. Attempts are made to filter out the idioms that people find desirable, or otherwise, in a building. Additional comments are made about where popular architectural perceptions stand today. Next, the dissertation tests some of its own hypotheses, and concludes that Malta's eventful colonial history is a prime influence in its people's love for conventional aesthetics. This, coupled with a lack of open interaction with emerging models, has resulted in the conservative society of today - a people who reject high-quality contemporary installations, and instead associate beauty with a specific blend of nostalgic iconography. Finally, the study proposes a potential way forward. It speaks about the need for an urban catalyst - a means of instigating change in public perception of space, and its potential design. Temporary architecture is introduced as the potential urban catalyst.