It is a curious story. A tale of stones, steel, streets, of present and past, which casts an unprecedented light on a familiar but mostly unnoticed landscape. The exhibition held by the Mauritius Association of Architects (MAA), at Caudan Waterfront from October 8 to last Sunday, gave a rare opportunity to have a closer look at, to renew interest in and to focus the critical mind on houses, edifices and urban spaces.

The event was centred on two competitions organized by the MAA. Displaying 31 architectural realizations or projects from 16 architects, the first, the 2005 MAA Architectural Competition, was remarkable : who knows, for instance, the name of the imposing building which hosted the exhibition? It is in fact Ehram Court, by Marc Daruty de Grandpré agency.

This section also showed the vitality and diversity of local architecture, through large-scale realisations like Rodrigues Airport, the refurbishment of Le Touessrok Hotel or the Château du Réduit. It also illustrated how far an architect can adapt to the most demanding individual requirements and realise safe, beautiful and comfortable houses even in a hostile landscape.

Architecture, explains Henry Loo, the president of the MAA and managing director of DesignA Consulting Ltd, is flexibility: “It is determined by functionality, the budget of our clients, the norms and specifications and, last but not least, aesthetics.” Long ago, many people relied only on draughtsmen or non-professionals who had little knowledge of architecture, thus risking poor planning, illegal construction and ugliness. “It is the architect who adds value to a building.” People are increasingly conscious of that and consult him more and more for the house of their dreams.

Architecture deals with the trends of the time. An architect’s plan can also transform a whole town for the next 50 years. This is why “there is a need for a well-sustained national policy in urban planning for the next ten years”, stresses Henry Loo.

Yet the past has to be remembered. Our historical buildings, monuments and bridges remain a unique legacy. This is why the MAA set up another contest, the 2005 National Heritage Photo Competition. 155 entries were received, from which 40 pictures were displayed last week.

<B>The historical perspective</B>

Again, one finds that most people are not even aware of the existence of many of the beautiful sites shown here. These are sometimes left unoccupied, not maintained, or not used.

Contributors like Afzal Domah, Jaheraz Soomatoo, Philippe Lahausse de la Louvière, Khodahin Yasser or Jacques Catherine have given us rare glimpses of that ancient world, in which people thought differently : the “four à chaux”, the bathing site for slaves, the old Breton cemetery or new leper hospital, not only create a contrast with modern edifices and a historical perspective, but they also have a spiritual quality. No doubt tourists would be interested to visit them. The exhibition may itself lack some explanatory details, but, as a rare effort in its field, it was an inititiative that could only be warmly welcomed.

<B>Aims, prizes and sponsors</B>

The 2005 MAA Architectural Competition, the 2005 National Heritage Photo Competition and the exhibition at Caudan Waterfront coincided with World Architecture Day, usually held on October 1, as well as the UN World Habitat Day. For the 2005 MAA Architectural Competition, open to professionals, entries were received in several categories: from residential complex, sports-recreational complex to public/institutional buildings, hotel-leisure resorts, interior design and young architects. The 2005 National Heritage Photo Competition, open to all, aimed at creating awareness of our culture and history. A prize-giving ceremony for the two competitions is scheduled for November 11. 10 trphies will be awarded to winning architects while 3 photographers will receive prizes of Rs 10 000, 5 000, and 3 000. The MAA exhibition was the first of its kind. Sponsors responded generously: Permoglaze, Xpanda, Lising, Metal Sheets, Conch UPVC, Systems Building, Caudan Waterfront, Centre Culturel Charles Baudelaire, Cap Tuiles, and Gamma.