In conversation with architect duo Alan Galea and Simon Grech

What are your earliest memories of architecture?

Simon: My earliest memory of architecture would have to be at around seven years of age whilst on school camp. We used to night hike from the barracks at “Majjistral” Park to Manikata church. This was back circa 1988 where I remember being particularly confused and intrigued with the building, its form, color, its function and how it sat in the landscape. I remember not knowing it was a church and had preconceived ideas of what a church should look like at the time. That night we used Richard England’s creation as a landscape to play both physically and mentally, playing hide and seek and telling scary stories to each other. It was a building that gives more than function but a building that gives a sense of place.

Alan: My earliest thoughts about what architecture really means are from my childhood when visiting various family properties and more than that travelling around Europe. I remember always comparing how someone had the power to decide on the way a particular space should be and the people using it would live by following the decisions of the Architect. In particular, my uncle’s house was a mirror image of my parent’s house since they were two semi-detached villas. This meant that their house was the wrong way round to me.

How would you describe your work?

Simon: I would describe our work at MODEL as contextual, functional, imaginative, fun and transformative. MODEL is an acronym for Malta / Mediterranean Office of Design of Environments and Living.

Alan: We try to be extremely contextual, true to the time and user oriented in our work. This might mean different things to different people but when you see the completed examples of our work, they always integrate well with their surroundings and seemingly they are enjoyed by end users.

How have you seen your career evolve over the past years? Has your personal approach to architecture changed?

Simon: I would say my career evolved from being given the opportunity to work as a coffee boy in an architectural practice (Architecture Project Valletta) in the late 90s where I truly fell in love with architecture and the design process. I slowly learned about the profession as an apprentice. I was very lucky to have met some extremely talented people along the way that had time for me to facilitate my growth as an Architect, I worked throughout my studies and eventually worked in the studio for some years before starting my own studio in 2008.

I believe that architecture is ultimately a team effort and that you need the right team to be part of to be successful doing it. You need likeminded people that are complementary to you.

Throughout the years we have had many wonderful, talented and passionate people that have contributed to MODEL’s work and continue doing great work outside MODEL. Working with different people is fun and interesting.

Today at MODEL I am lucky to have my business partner Alan Galea and a great team that together complement each other to battle the complexities of every project in one common vision for a successful outcome.

I also enjoy giving time to architectural students both at the studio and at the faculty for the built environment at UOM where I tutor design.

Alan: Over the past years, we gained more trust from our clients and we are afforded more freedom to make decisions in our clients’ best interest or in the interest of better archietcture. Personally, since the start of my career, my appreciation for nature and the importance of connecting our buildings and experiences to nature has become more important to me.

What led to your biggest success as an architect?

Simon: I’m not sure what success you are referring to too. It is all an ongoing process of growth and development. One may think this is measured by the number of awards you may receive or publications you may have had but ultimately Architecture has a responsibility to our community, we have the responsibility to create spaces that both improve the way we live and uplift the soul. I will let time judge and tell the story.

Alan: Perseverance in general is the key to my success. That and a good team. Without a good team, we would have no success. I think success is a big word to use for now. Maybe we have relative success at this point but we have so much more to offer.

What inspired you to start your own business?

Simon: It seemed to be the natural thing to do, both my parents were self-employed. My mother worked in property as an estate agent and focused on properties in Valletta in the late 90s early 2000s. Whilst my father was a software developer, working in IT, a kind of virtual architect with a soft spot for architecture. They both worked very hard but seemed to be in control of their working hours and had time for me and each other. That was something I liked and wanted for my future. So I was young Naïve and Romantic about Architecture with nothing to lose and told myself, Just do it! The rest is history.

Alan: It was a natural progression since I was always passionate about the business side of the industry too such as marketing, finance, management and strategic thinking. Besides that, I wanted to build a family and the fexibility and freedom of time made it more attractive.

What have you brought to architecture in Malta?

Simon: I think this would be a question best asked to my peers, I feel elaborating on such a question would be somewhat be pretentious. Albeit I would hope to think that I have been one of the architects of my generation that have helped shift the perception of an Architect / Perit in Malta from one that you engage for a permit to one closer to the professional that you engage to create meaningful space. I also hope I have managed to encourage young architects to pursue their dreams in architecture.

Alan: I don’t feel I have had any impact yet on Architecture in Malta.

What has been the highlight of your career? 

Simon: The highlight of my career is to still be able to do what I love whilst still making a living doing it and operating from our own premises in Marsa.

Alan: The thrill of my career is looking back and seeing completed works. The difficulties to get a project to a complete state are difficult to explain or understand until you go through it, so when I look back and see that over the past decade we have quite a number of completed projects being used, lived or worked in and being enjoyed by the users in a way that we imagined and made happen makes it all worthwhile.

Can you comment on some of your recent projects?

Simon: We are very lucky to have some fantastic clients who believe in us and our work. Our work varies in scale and budget. On the one hand we have some very interesting interventions being done within historical contexts and on the other commercial projects for some highly reputable brands. Both are equally important to us.

Alan: At the moment we have some really interesting work going on. We are very fortunate to have some nice brand names trusting us with the design of their commercial outlets, offices and eateries and then we have some beautiful and historically important residential buildings that require renovation and our input to adapt them to modern lifestyles.

Which are the projects you are most proud of and which are your least favourite?

Simon: All projects teach you something; the good, the bad and the ugly. They are all important. The good teach you how to do architecture, the bad and the ugly teach you how not to do architecture. Architectural intelligence is important, to learn from each experience.

Such a question is like asking a person with several children which is your favorite child; each project is a commitment with its ups and downs. Great effort is put into each one,  and they all turnout different, each having their own special identity.

Alan: It is difficult to pick favourite projects but in general, all the works we publish make me extremely proud. With regards to my least favourite, they are generally the ones where there is too much interference from authorities and/or the clients themselves which takes away all the joy and many times the scope in designing and implementing a project. You will never see these kinds of projects on our social media.

Could you touch on your design process?

Simon: Personally, I describe the design process as “making sense of the scribble”. Where the scribble represents all the parameters that must be addressed during the design process. These don’t necessarily always complement each other with regards to context, environment, budget, client, materials etc. It is the job of the architect to turn the scribble into a functional work of art that addresses all these parameters in harmony together. This influence of thought came from an art teacher I had early on who taught us how to produce a drawing from a scribble done by another person.

In 2017, I gave a talk explaining this approach at the ARCHITECTURAL POLICIES CONFERENCE & EFAP GENERAL ASSEMBLY - The New In The Old - Contemporary Architecture in a Historic Context.

Today, as a team and with our different skill sets, we do just that.

Alan: Firstly we need to really understand what someone wants out of their space, whether it’s residential or commercial, we need to get down to a personal level and think about how the end user will want to experience the space. Then comes a deep study into the context, surroundings, history maybe or whatever makes sense for that project. From then on we sketch a lot to formulate ideas and come up with what we think is best for the property.

What is your take on modern buildings and how do they fit into the traditional Maltese building styles?

Simon: I believe that there is good architecture and bad architecture. Modern buildings may work perfectly in harmony or in contrast of each other. There must be a meaningful conversation between the two. I see buildings as people. You may have a mixed community of ages that live harmoniously with each other or in contrast with each other or one that just does not work. The old needs the new and the new needs the old. I guess it is a Ying and Yang situation.

Alan: I strongly believe that we should build for our time and need to find appropriate ways to create harmony with traditional buildings. Modern buildings in Malta is a vague subject as money, greed and inconsistent planning policies have resulted in a questionable architectural period for us.

What current Malta architecture pleases you and what hurts?

Simon: There are many young architects today who are taking a thoughtful approach to architectural design. The efforts of architects and developers putting ideals before money and greed make me happy also seeing local craftsmanship being celebrated in a contemporary fashion puts a smile on my face.

On the other hand anonymous lazy developments built in single brick badly built replacing a crafted stone building breaks my heart. If I recall well when Sir Norman Foster visited Malta he said what makes Malta unique is the way our urban environment seems to be crafted out of the stone landscape the colour and materiality gives it its own unique quality, and that is something.

Alan: Maltese stone pleases me the most, so when I see low-rise buildings coming up in stone, I think it’s a step in the right direction again. Not that plaster is not good but if you look back at buildings over time, the plastered ones without maintenance are probably the main reason why we look so shabby. With regards to what hurts the most, it’s probably buildings where the design process starts and stops with adhering to planning policies.

Can you name a few buildings that should be on the ‘travel list’ of young and upcoming, but also established architects.

Simon: Our family holidays are generally planned around visiting particular buildings as both my wife and I share the same passion for architecture. The list would be endless. But a few that have moved me are the following:

The Pantheon, Rome, Italy

Le Corbusier’s studio apartment in Paris, France

Nordic Pavillion, Venice, Italy

The Centre Pompidou, Paris, France

Castelvecchio, Verona, Italy,

SESC Pompéia Sau Paulo, Brazil

Barcelona Pavillion, Barcelona

Alan: This is a difficult one to pin point. Personally, I have experienced Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum in New York, The Sydney Opera House in Australia, Daniel Libeskind’s Jewish Museum in Berlin, Norman Foster’s Reichstag’s Dome also in Berlin, Antonio Gaudi’s works in Barcelona to name a few. I am not one for planned travel, I would just travel in general and leisurely roam the streets of many different countries around the world.

Who do you admire and why?

Simon: I’m not much of a person who admires people I don’t know. I believe we all have an equal responsibility to do our best and try to leave this place a little better than how we found it. There are many architects I like but I particularly have a soft spot for Sir Richard Rogers. A particularly colourful person who had his struggles with dyslexia throughout his education even failing at the AA (Architecture Association, London), he passed away in 2021, and was particularly concerned with the impact of architecture on society and its importance in the public and political realm.

I always refer to Sir Richard Rogers when students are having a hard time, I also remind them to have passion, never give up, love it, dream it, live it, pursue it and travel! some of the best architects never competed their studies e.g., John Pawson, Tadao Ando, Carlo Scarpa etc. not to mention some of the greats. Stamina and optimism are the two most important assets an Architect must possess to be able to push and fight for her/his vision.

Alan: I really admire my partner, Simon, who I think is one of the most creative architectural thinkers in Malta and I learn a lot from him everyday. I would advise aspiring architects to travel as much as they can when they are young to see the world, not necessarily to any well known architecture sites, but more to experience different cultures and ways of life. We are a small beautiful island but there are so many cultures to experience.

What is your ultimate goal? What do you want to be remembered for?

Simon: My ultimate goal professionally is to locally improve the quality of our built and unbuilt environment through my passion as an architect, to leave some fun and interesting thoughtful work for a better place for the generations to come. I also hope some of my passion and optimism rubs onto some of my students. On a personal note, I also hope to be remembered as a decent chap, a good son, father and husband.

Alan: My ultimate goal is to look back with pride on a career of good effortless architecture. If I am remembered at all, being remembered for that achievement would be wonderful.