ĦAĠRA DAY 7: What is the Future of Mediterranean Architecture?

The "island effect" uniquely shapes architecture in Malta, with its limited land, harsh climate, and strong cultural ties influencing design decisions. Join us for an afternoon of discussions with Muarizio Oddo, Corrine Vezzoni and Guillermo Reynés.

Presentation by Agnes Couvelas for Couvelas Architects & Engineers

Time: 15:00 - 16:00

At 26, Agnes Couvelas established her own practice that set the tone for a career measured by place-sensitive design. Her portfolio, including the The House of the Winds in Santorini, and the Evriali Ecological Park, reflects a quiet resistance to trend-driven architecture. Instead, Couvelas champions a language of material restraint, spatial clarity, and environmental responsiveness.

Durability and liveability are not aesthetic choices but ethical imperatives. Couvelas’s architecture insists on relevance over noise, longevity over novelty. At this year’s Ħaġra festival, Couvelas will present her ongoing exploration of architecture as both spatial and ethical inquiry.

Presenation by Emre Arolat for Emre Arolat Architecture

Time: 16:00 - 17:00

Emre Arolat, co-founder of Emre Arolat Architecture (EAA), is a leading Turkish architect known for blending contemporary design with cultural and historical context. A graduate of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, he gained international recognition with the Mies van der Rohe Award (2004) and the RIBA International Prize (2018).

EAA bridges tradition and innovation through its wide range of works. At this event, Arolat will present a selection of projects, offering a critical look into the firm’s design process and its ongoing negotiation between global modernism and local identity.

BREAK from 17:00 till 17:15

Roundtable Discussion - What is the Future of Mediterranean Architecture?

Time: 17:15 - 18:15

For the finale of Ħaġra Festival, it would be fitting to end this celebration with a discission that is not only an opportunity to rehash all that has been discussed through the festival but to also question upfront the future of Mediterranean architecture and what we will be facing in the next decades to come.