The opera house 'bombed' again

The nation is reeling from shock at the latest bombshell to hit the Royal Opera House site aimed by the party in government which has been promoting itself to the nation and to the world at large as intent on promoting "culture and the arts". The announcement that the government intends building a new Parliament house on the Opera House site is brash and insensitive. It has shocked the nation into disbelief by its arrogance.

A referendum held some years back by the Valletta local council showed quite clearly that the majority of the people who voted wanted the site to be rebuilt as a full-blown theatre. Unfortunately the referendum statements, presented in ambiguous terms and tinged with some political colour, were not set before the whole nation. The government is still in time to give the nation the opportunity to express its views now and it should have the courage and the goodwill to do so. Then vox populi vox dei and so be it.

We can argue until we are blue in the face that we have a great number of "arts and culture centres" in Valletta, which are satisfying needs and demand. Reductio ad absurdum I would go as far as to say that to some the re-enactments parading up and down the streets of Valletta and elsewhere are enough "culture".

However, the truth of the matter is that there is no theatre in Valletta, indeed in all of Malta, able to take the larger productions (not necessarily opera) which are the spectacular ones and the crowd-pullers.

The Manoel Theatre, a priceless gem, is too small a theatre for large productions but it can be kept vibrant and active with charming, miniature productions.

St James Cavalier is not a full blown theatre like the Manoel although it more than satisfies the needs of what has been coined as a "Centre for Creativity".

The Mediterranean Conference Centre is a built-up courtyard with the worst acoustics imaginable. It is not and never will be a theatre. However it has doubled up as a smart conference centre and its use as such is necessary and important for Valletta, as the recent International Priests' Congress has shown.

Parliament should and must move out of the palace. It does not, however, follow that the move should dash the dream of the majority of the nation by its own government.

There are other suitable sites for Parliament. One is the theatre attached to the Old University since its use for theatre and concert productions has been reproduced by St James Cavalier.

St Elmo is another and the money spent there to adjust an area to house Parliament within would give triple benefits since it would be restoring a valuable monument, giving it some form of life and helping to rehabilitate both St Elmo and the lower end of Valletta.

The Evans Laboratory is another option as is the examination centre.

All of these alternative sites are crying out for rehabilitation.

"The opera house site is a project with a history," Darrell Pace, communications coordinating officer, Ministry for Urban Development and Roads, said. Yes indeed Mr Pace, however it does not follow that the architect must necessarily be Richard England even if the government's decision "was based on the confidence in his capabilities and in order to ensure the continuity with the plans which have already been developed for Freedom Square, the car park and St James Cavalier". If such plans exist, is the government telling us that only Prof. England can provide this continuity? Present and future architects, gnash and grind your teeth! If I were an architect I would be looking for another profession.

Prof. England has already submitted a design for the theatre. I did not like his design then and I doubt whether I will like a rehash of the same style. I do not like buildings looking like sports gymnasiums in Valletta. I do not like memory screens and I do not like green, pink and purple in old buildings. Prof. England likes to make a statement through a style which he adopted many years ago. I do not think that that style is consonant with the architecture of Valletta as the concrete pillars and the garish colours at St James Cavalier can attest. Moreover, he has been given enough public space for his "creations".

Other architects and architectural firms, not least the young and fresh ones, should be given the opportunity to design the third millennium project building. This building must be a full-blown theatre with all the trimmings. Who knows but that there is some bright young spark who might come up with the answer to this complex project. Real democracy demands no less.

As for the Lm1 million a year needed to keep it going, it will be money well spent since the beneficial returns it will generate will be felt by the tourist industry through the regeneration of Valletta and Malta and by the nation through the fulfilment of its dreams.