Jovan Mizzi, Kalkara
The Opera House: A curtain raiser? (1)
Architect Giovanni Trevisan's vision for the entrance to Valletta, first sketched in 2004.
I refer to the centre page spread High-Tech Flexible Structure Proposed For Opera House Site of Saturday, May 10, to clarify a particular illustration.
The caption "An eventual stone embellishment that will be applied to the high-tech structure" should have read "A stone embellishment that might be applied to the high-tech structure in the future".
The oversight was pointed out by Richard England in a letter to the editor on May 15. This letter caused some perplexity about the project and it seems that the readers deserve some more explanation.
In 2005 Tonio Fenech said: "Within Valletta, the Royal Opera House was a celebrated palace of culture that fell victim to the disastrous capacity of man to wage war. What should be rebuilt on the same site should be a testament to the future of man's capacity to turn tragedy into new hope."
Architect Giovanni Trevisan worked on this project with the hope that this site could be a seat for "Civilisations in Conversation" also through cultural activities.
The project has had favourable comments as it will positively contribute towards Malta's cultural and economic values.
In a recent presentation Mr Trevisan explained how having considered the city in its totality, he appreciates the validity of the existing Main Gate and the surrounding colonnade, urging us to restore them while assuring us that when the Opera House building is replaced, the colonnade will work as originally intended.
He describes this building as "Il Contenitore Dello Spirito". The building is appropriate both as a Parliament building as well as a Cultural Centre and Mr Trevisan believes that the mere presence of the Opera House structure will breathe new life into the city as the Pyramid did to the Louvre in Paris.
All this has been received by many as a correct and a beautiful solution that makes me proud to have followed and promoted since its conception. The Edward de Bono Foundation has positively contributed towards this project by providing the platform for facilitation of meetings using the Edward de Bono thinking tools.
This proposal could be considered as a step towards a solution. Perhaps the next tool that is needed is the soft mallet to get it started. This project is being exhibited at St John's Cavalier Valletta until May 31, - Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Joseph Galea
May 22nd 2008, 14:54
"..... appreciates the validity of the existing Main Gate....." ?
Anyone who 'appreciates the validity ' of the existing monstrosity has no business making proposals for our Capital city's most important site.
laurence schembri
May 22nd 2008, 12:34
It is all talk, talk, talk, and nothing will ever come out of it.
Adrian E. Camilleri
May 22nd 2008, 10:25
This is a positive step. Now let's get things MOVING, and let's have the House rebuilt, and the main entrance (including the bus terminus) seen to during this legislature, please. Prime Minister, do please see to this!
Alfred Grech
May 22nd 2008, 09:38
Whoever decided to replace the old City Gate with this ugly one we have now deserves a PhD in stupidity.
The Opera House was a building which beauty could compare with buildings in Rome and other monumental cities. Externally, it should be built to the very same design it used to be. I hope the government won't commit another gross error by building a "modern" building. History will never forgive you same like it will never forgive whoever came up with the ugly gate we have now.