An exceptional opportunity

The last time a Maltese city was revamped was Vilhena's remodelling of Mdina following the 1693 earthquake, with very successful results. This government's plans for Valletta will amount to a similar revamp and, with plenty of thought, could be equally successful. Provoked by a financial, rather than a physical earthquake, the project is partly aimed at providing work for the beleaguered construction industry; this in itself is nothing unusual as major state-funded projects often coincide with an economic downturn and, in fact, in the US, President Barack Obama is talking in similar vein.

As with de Mondion's plans for Mdina, Valletta's rehabilitation calls for vision and major courageous changes that have to be thought through very carefully. However, while Vilhena's aim to leave his stamp on Mdina was acceptable in the age of autocracy, it is no longer acceptable in a democracy. The end-use of the buildings and their design should be submitted to public consultation and failure to do so would smack of Vilhena-like arrogance.

While there is now a much greater acceptance of a Renzo Piano design for the entrance to Valletta, the question of the use of the former opera house building is bound to be much more contentious. The official announcement that Parliament is to be transferred there is one option but Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar maintains that all options should be thoroughly assessed before a decision is taken. Of course, a Parliament building is an essential institution but might not a Parliament dominating the entrance to Valletta deliver the wrong message, that our lives are controlled by politics?

While it is debatable whether Malta can support an exclusive opera house, a multi-functional national theatre run by a good, professional creative management could be self-funding and the proof of this is the Mediterranean Conference Centre, which does not receive any state funding.

In examining different options, all aspects need to be taken into account, including the fact that Malta has a great potential to succeed as a culture destination attracting high-quality tourism. Lunchtime afternoon recitals at St Catherine of Italy church and the Manoel Theatre have proved so popular with hosts of enthusiastic tourists that they attract repeat visits to Malta. This demonstrates not only the potential of more concerts in our tourism portfolio but also the viability of harnessing our abundant but neglected musical talent to make Malta a centre for cultural tourism.

The steady flow of cruise liner passengers is also creating a healthy demand for day-time concerts presently being held at various venues, some of which cannot cope with the large numbers involved. Prague, which only started to market itself as a musical destination fairly recently, is overflowing with year-round tourists in spite of its inclement weather.

It has been said that the opera house site is too small for a full theatre and yet Fr Peter Serracino Inglott, who participated in the planning of the previous Piano project, has emphasised how the British theatre designers who had been commissioned had confirmed that the site could accommodate a 1,000- and even 1,500-seat theatre. This could also be enhanced by clever and modern theatre design, which could maximise the space available with the use of rotating stages. The opera house footprint is larger than that of Venice's acclaimed Teatro la Fenice, which rose again from the ashes with great fanfare in 2004.

Would it not be preferable that, rather than sharing the building with Parliament, as has been mooted, any spare space within the structure be dedicated to a music conservatory? It is a shame that there is presently no possibility for adult musicians to perfect their art or for children, our musical future, to take voice lessons.

The success of such a venture also depends on a holistic management plan for all of Valletta's theatres. The MCC's inadequate stage and poor acoustics make it unsuitable as a theatre for large-scale productions - especially operatic performances and orchestral concerts - which should be diverted to a more suitable and accessible venue. The Manoel Theatre is too small for large productions; now that the national orchestra has grown, the stage is ludicrously if not dangerously cramped, as evidenced during the recent Kate Aldridge concert. In fact, after the war, large shows and operas had to move from Valletta to the now defunct Radio City theatre.

Proximity to public transport would also make a national theatre on the site of the Teatru Rjal much more accessible to the public than both the MCC or Manoel Theatre and, therefore, much more sustainable. A national theatre would not only be more suitable to dominate the entrance to Valletta but would boost Malta's tourism and culture in a way that Parliament could never do.

Having freed up the MCC, this noble structure with its grand halls would make an honourable House of Parliament. The great hall is the only room that could suitably accommodate all the St John's tapestries in one space, as has been called for, which would give further prestige to the Parliament House. Although few realise it, the conference centre includes a back wing, which could already accommodate more parliamentary staff than the Palace does.

Another fact to be borne in mind is that international heritage rehabilitation experience has shown that social integration as well as the holistic treatment of the whole area are essential elements for projects to be accepted and succeed.

For too long now, activity in Valletta has been limited to the upper half. Moving Parliament to the MCC would trigger the rehabilitation of lower Valletta, which has been neglected for decades. Many have understandably pointed out that a financial crisis might not be the right time to spend €80 million on constructing a new Parliament building but it would be a different matter if the project also served to regenerate a whole depressed area.

The restoration of Fort St Elmo would be part of the same regeneration. Experts have confirmed that the interior spaces at St Elmo are not large enough to provide large chambers with good acoustics. However, St Elmo could be spectacularly re-equipped with period artillery and parts of it could be converted to a museum of military history, of which St Elmo is a living example. Other areas could accommodate a mixed-use cultural centre accommodating a long-awaited modern art museum and artists' workshops along with café and restaurants servicing both tourists and offices, which would probably be the best formula to provide a guaranteed future for this huge structure.

The proposed construction of a hotel at the Evan's Laboratories site would complete a constitutional/cultural/tourist hub to draw tourists down to lower Valletta, creating jobs in a depressed area and distributing tourist earnings much more equitably. The combination of a lively cultural centre and a prestigious parliamentary building would create a demand for the accommodation of visiting dignitaries and make a hotel there highly attractive to a potential investor.

The rebuilding of the opera house site should be national in scope and should serve as a symbol of national unity and identity, raising Malta's cultural standing overseas. The development should be in harmony with the magnificence of Valletta and, possibly, of the former site (not necessarily in design but in grandeur) and should also encompass Freedom Square. Placing Parliament at City Gate may be grandiose but would do nothing to boost culture or tourism and would deprive Malta of the chance to have a building that pays for itself, both in running costs and in construction, as EU funds could be sought for the construction of a theatre but a Parliament can only be paid for by the taxpayer.

Ultimately, rebuilding a national theatre would not eliminate Parliament from Valletta as various alternative venues exist. Placing Parliament on the opera house site would, however, destroy any chance of Malta ever having a national theatre in its capital city. Can we justify that to future generations?

Rather than having a government that goes down in history for depriving Malta of a national theatre, let us remember this government for not stopping at piecemeal solutions but having the vision to rehabilitate the whole of Valletta.

Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar welcomes the proposal to remodel Valletta's entrance. This is a unique opportunity to tackle Valletta's many long-standing and important issues in one concerted effort. If handled with vision, this could transform Valletta and help our country to compete internationally, while serving as an example of holistic, innovative, participatory and sustainable rehabilitation, the sort of development which Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar would be only too pleased to support.

Ms Vella is coordinator, Flimkien Għal-Ambjent Ahjar