Deprived of a place for grand theatre

For what it's worth, I wish to add my voice to that of so many others who are protesting most strongly at the very idea of using the Opera House site to construct a House of Parliament.

Admittedly, the public welcomed the news that the entrance to our capital city was to be restored to its former dignity (that is, hopefully) by no less than the renowned architect, Renzo Piano. However, this should not be done at the expense of losing the opportunity of rebuilding our Opera House.

A Parliament House on the site would simply mean that Valletta will never have a well-equipped theatre suitable for grand concerts, opera and ballet performances and shows of an international standard. This would make our city the only capital in Europe and probably in the developed world without an opera house - so much for aspiring to make Malta a centre of excellence and Valletta a city of culture by 2015. Even in Hanoi the Communist Regime had the French Colonial theatre rebuilt after the war. And I can think of countless other theatres that were destroyed and rebuilt. Ours is long overdue.

Many alternative sites for the Parliament House have been proposed and most of them are feasible. Among them are Fort St Elmo, the Main Guard area spilling over into Strait Street, the Mediterranean Conference Centre and the Evans Laboratory site, as well as Boffa Hospital.

With particular reference to the last two, let's face it, we do not need any more hotels occupying our prime sites, seeing that many hoteliers constantly complain about low occupancy rates. What we need are attractions of a high calibre to draw more visitors to our shores and also to entertain the Maltese public. Furthermore, if our quality of life is to be improved, culture needs to be promoted in every possible way and looked upon as an investment in our future.

As for the size of the area originally occupied by the Teatru Rjal, the new building could spread backwards, sideways towards Ordinance Street, possibly upwards and definitely downwards. So the available space is no excuse for depriving us of the grand Opera House that Valletta so richly deserves.

I must confess that I feel let down by Lawrence Gonzi over this issue and hope most sincerely that he will reconsider his decision. After all, why should our grand theatrical events have to take place in a glorified tent?