Much is being said and written about Renzo Piano's plans for Valletta. Obviously, we all have our opinions and we all have the right to air them. Thankfully, although it has been said that in Malta some 400,000 individuals have become architects overnight, the proposed plans have been accepted by the great majority and, more importantly, they have not been turned into a political football. The Labour Party (PL) seems to have approved the overall concept although it says it "will be vigilant on the project's costing and timeline".
There seems to be quite a positive reaction to Mr Piano's proposed plans for City Gate, although some complained that rebuilding the opera house is not on the cards. The experts have explained that the architecture of the opera house built by the English clashed completely with Valletta's architectural style. They have also told us that even the acoustics of the old opera house left much to be desired.
Furthermore, Malta's capital does not need another opera house. Valletta already houses two alternative venues for such performances: the Manoel Theatre and the Mediterranean Conference Centre. The demand for the opera genre does not justify the cost of putting up such performances: "a modern opera, of conventional size, would equally not fit in this place considering today's requirements for rehearsal, backstage facilities and accessibility, besides generating exorbitant running costs" (The Times, June 27). Neither does Valletta need another arts and cultural centre. We have St James Cavalier fulfilling that role.
Mr Piano's plans are simple yet brilliant. His idea to incorporate the ruins in the new open-air theatre is truly a breath of fresh air, in more sense than one. Not only will the proposed plans safeguard our treasured heritage, the creation of an open-air theatre is indeed an intelligent and innovative move.
Contrary to what has been alleged, summer performances in a make-do set-up in the ruins of the opera there have been aplenty. They were successful and, yet, imagine how magical they can be with the installation of state-of-the-art lighting systems, acoustic and sound equipment. I myself attended several wonderful evenings in the opera house ruins and not once was the performance ruined, postponed, delayed, cancelled or whatever. Open-air theatres exist all over the world, even where the weather is unpredictable and mostly grey, cold and wet, as in the UK. The Regents Park Open-Air Theatre, which has been open annually since 1932, "has become famous for holding a wide variety of shows, from classic Elizabethan drama to contemporary stand-up comedy. Shows for 2009 (the season runs from May 25 to September 12) include the Shakespeare classics Much Ado About Nothing and The Tempest, plus a new production of the musical Hello Dolly, promising something to suit all tastes". What the UK can do with its dreary, drab and depressing weather surely we can do better!
Which reminds me: I hope that water catchment areas and/or wells, which were mandatory when the Knights built Valletta, have been included somewhere in the plans. As far as gardens (which, incidentally, were limited in number by the Knights) and open spaces are concerned, Valletta already boasts of several recreational open spaces and no "new" garden can beat the beauty of the lovely Lower and Upper Barrakkas, Hastings Gardens etc.
There has been some criticism on having the Houses of Parliament at the city's entrance. Although the majority agrees that they should be removed from the President's Palace, some have suggested relocating them to Fort St Elmo or even propel them out of town. The Houses of Parliament, as in House of Representatives, belong to the people. The people's elected representatives should not be shoved aside in some remote spot. On the contrary, their offices (which at present they do not even have the luxury of enjoying) should be easily accessible to the Maltese people who have the right to follow debates and keep in touch with their parliamentary representatives. And where else should Parliament be placed, if not very close to the central bus terminus?
The Valletta entrance has been waiting forever for a make-over, and soon it will reappear in its glorious splendour. We have waited too long to embark on this mega project. It's now or never and even though not each and every one of us is pleased with each and every proposal put forward by Mr Piano, we all agree that the monstrous city gate needs to be demolished and the stalls infesting the entrance need to disappear pronto.
The shopping arcade and car park in Freedom Square need to vanish too. Who knows, perhaps one day, if and when better accommodation is offered to the residents, even the buildings on the side of the square opposite can also perform a disappearing act a' la Houdini. But that will probably not happen in my lifetime... although that idea would simply be perfect.