One of the architectural projects in the Justus Lipsius atrium
(Photo credit: Monica Audrey Galea)
ILMA u MELĦ – a series of architectural projects in Brussels developed by the Faculty for the Built Environment in connection with the Maltese Presidency of the European Council
Over the past months, the Faculty for the Built Environment at the University of Malta was tasked with creating a representation of some of the main priorities for the Maltese Presidency of the European Council, currently underway – namely, migration, social inclusion, Europe’s neighbourhood and maritime (Mediterranean) objectives. The project was led by Dr Antoine Zammit, lecturer at the Department of Spatial Planning and Infrastructure, together with Architect Monica Audrey Galea from the Department of Architecture and Urban Design and a core unit of three recent postgraduate students – Daniel Attard, Sacha Cutajar and Kristine Pace.
The chosen sites for this endeavour were located within the Justus Lipsius building, the main seat of the Council of the European Union and, for the first time since its recent opening, the Europa Building. Sourcing inspiration from quintessential island life, themes such as salt, water and light were prevalent, combined with the terrifying struggle of the endeavour for freedom and safety felt by immigrants. This marriage of tranquillity and discord added a contemplative aspect to the somewhat harmonious and sinuous shapes used within this installation. Strewn across six specific sites within the Brussels compound – the Justus Lipsius atrium, foyer and two Presidency Rooms as well as the Europa building’s two Presidency rooms – the overall custom-designed project was experienced in a variety of ways, with certain spaces being accessible to all while others being more private.
One quality that is key to this installation is the tactility of its aspects. From interactive screens to oceanic soundscapes, the whole experience is akin to a tremulous journey on the high seas. Emphasis is placed on the temporality of an immigrant’s stay within any safe space, along with the ephemerality of life. Taking the indoor garden placed in the foyer as an example, the use of nature is explicit in the understanding needed for the sufficient maintenance and care that one needs to give to maintain a healthy lifestyle, organisation or commitment.
While soil propagates life, salt preserves it. High quantities of salt, if ingested or applied directly to life forms may cause severe consequences nevertheless. It is in this way that salt was paired with this indoor oasis. This mineral was used in two ways: as a haptic element as well as an experimental product. Salt-filled wooden planters were placed within the foyer, inviting individuals to interact with it, while a salt-resin material was created. Paired with light sources, it gave off the effervescent effect of alabaster. This material was incorporated within the foyer as a symbolic representation of migrant lives lost at sea, as well as in the Justus Lipsius and Europa building Presidency rooms, with the representation of the salt pans (salini) as monolithic and highly geometric architectonic pieces of furniture that furthermore represent the Mediterranean’s economic yield.
The project runs until the end of the Maltese Presidency in June 2017. Images of the project’s inauguration last January may be viewed at the following , and the project’s conceptual visuals and raison d’être are available .
