A case study on the Girls' Junior Lyceum at Santa Lucija

Abstract

In 1992, the Maltese government had taken the decision to construct a new girls' Junior Lyceum in Santa Lucija. The last purposely-built state secondary school was erected around 30 years ago. The construction of this new school immediately gave rise to questions on how the new school design reflects the contemporary educational issues in the Maltese context. What are the educational issues which have influenced the design of the school? Why was the school decided to be built? How was Santa Lucija selected for the site of the school? According to what criteria was the architect chosen to design the school? How did the architect allocate space for curricular activities? What measures were taken by the architect to make the school more open to the community and accessible to those with physical disability? This study investigates these issues through a number of research methods including semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, on-site observations and reference to literature. Finally, this study will provide a critical analysis of the school design at Santa Lucija in the light of contemporary educational issues, and will serve as an insight for the construction of future secondary schools and the renovation of existing buildings.