Mizzi Studios’ public transport concept took Malta by storm when it was first released earlier this year, but tonight saw the official premier of The Malta Bus Reborn, an exhibition showcasing the studio's vision for Malta's bus fleet, with the full support of the Ministry for transport, infrastructure and capital projects.  

Mizzi Studio / Facebook

Minister Ian Borg was elated to be inaugurating the launch, which took place in Valletta earlier this evening, and while he admits that nostalgia is a critical factor which keeps the traditional and quirky yellow buses alive in public memory, he insists that “we have to accept that the world moves ahead, and we need to keep up with progress.” While he acknowledges that measures have already been taken, the next step is “to look ahead towards cleaner buses and cleaner air” - and we couldn't agree more!

He also expressed great pride over Mizzi Studio’s concept: “It is a concept that brings together something very nostalgic for us Maltese and something we are looking at for our future – sustainability, alternative means, electromobility. I commend the team for this impeccable design joining culture and progress, and I hope that in the future this design can be tangibly realised", said Ian Borg.

For Architect Jonathan Mizzi, the love for and importance of cultural heritage was a critical driving force behind this project. "The buses formed part of an infrastructural network that spanned our whole nation, they were the lifeline that fuelled our connectivity across every arterial road", he explains. "My studio and I have worked very hard over seven years to capture the essence of our diverse bus fleet into a singular design that unifies the most common genetic features of them all, fusing them with the functionality of the latest technology in transport. It’s fitting that we are here today at the site of our old bus terminus to exhibit this new concept."

The Tritoni Fountain area in Valletta hosted a large-scale screening of a VFX film highlighting the proposed concept.

Are you as excited to see this project come to life?