As Sliema marks the centenary of its elegant government primary school in Blanche Huber Street, it will not be amiss to pay tribute to its humble designer, Andrea Vassallo, who in spite of many obstacles, and exclusively on his merits, achieved a pre-eminent position in his profession. A century ago Vassallo was very active in the fast developing Sliema district making the area the undisputed centre of art nouveau in the Maltese islands.

With no effusive air or intellectual arrogance of the "academia", but armed solely with the massive support and recommendations of the governors and British military engineers of the day, Luqa-born Andrea Vassallo, in his Sliema school assignment, demonstrates his prevailing captivating style blending his undoubted skill in design and decorative motifs with scholarly detachment. Of particular interest is his favourite miniature tower motif, so evident in his Villa Rosa design (St Julians) and the charming art nouveau structure of Casa Said on the Sliema promenade totally demolished over 20 years ago.

It was a time when Vassallo was shunned and ostracised by the Istituto dei Periti especially when the relevant Examination Board in 1908 granted him the requisite warrant without his ever attending a formal course and exempting him from all examinations.

This is the stuff a genius is made of; Vassallo had indeed previously amply shown his mettle in various architectural and engineering feats which later culminated in his design of the exquisite Romanesque Basilica of Ta' Pinu in Gozo whose foundation stone was laid by Bishop Camilleri on May 30, 1930 and consecrated by Bishop Gonzi on December 13, 1931. Old Sliema was a nostalgic monument to this gentleman who died on January 28, 1928 at the Blue Sisters, a magnificent hospital which he himself had designed.

In this centenary year, the Sliema school can be the catalyst to organise an exhibition of Andrea Vassallo's designs, drawings and photographs of his domestic, secular and ecclesiastical architecture in the Sliema/St Julians area.

The scholarly work of architect Renato Laferla, Sliema Art Nouveau Architecture published in 1969, and the late Leonard Mahoney's feature Architect Andrea Vassallo (1908-1928) in Melita Historica 1990 as well as surviving members of Vasallo's family may be consulted with the noble aim of commemorating his contribution to Maltese architecture.