Classical versus modern in City Gate debate (3)

Corinne Vella

Jul 14th 2009, 13:11

Victor Laiviera:

I wondered about that survey and have now found that the results are not those you quote.

The article quoting the survey results says that "49% opted for rebuilding the opera house" and 67% "want the opera house to be rebuilt exactly as it was before". If we take the differing figures at face value, then survey results are exactly the opposite of what you claim i.e. fewer than one third of respondents support the rebuilding of the opera house to Barry's design. To be specific, 67% of 49% is 32.63%, which is a substantial minority, not a substantial majority.

In addition, as the survey was published in January 2009, several months before the exhibition opened, there is a firm basis for accurately assuming that fully 100% of survey respondents had not visited the exhibition at all.

Carmel Attard

Jul 14th 2009, 13:00

Victor Laiviera .. has Said a Gate less Gate and so on. When are we going to learn not to waste money .. Pull the Gate down ..it's been an eysore for too long ..and have the same effects of the Opera house ruins. yes bring the old Ruins of the Previous Gate place a substanstial number of boulders on top of each other .bingo. Problem solved! The old Gate back in its place and as Relic like the Opera house. No need to spend a cent apart from a couple of H.E.s , or perhaps another Stuka bomber with today's precise Misiles to do the Job!! Then another Hole in the Ground instead of the Car Park ..and a big Tarp the protect the Politicians from the Rain and the sun .. Surround it with Glass ..so that all procedures are transparent. For goodnes sake, this movin on with times garb, We can never replace what we had, because we are so modern now that we do not want an old fashioned gate!! So why Bother coming to our OLD FASHIONED RELIC.. The Great City of Valletta???

Corinne Vella

Jul 13th 2009, 21:14

Victor Laiviera: It is never a good idea to make random assumptions, particularly when quoting research results, and you make several here.

1. Your assumption about the survey results is baseless, even if 100% of the people interviewed for that survey had all visited the exhibition. Thousands visited the exhibition. Did the survey involve thousands of respondents?

2. You assume that a popular vote results in good design. A look at towns and villages around Malta would tell you that that isn't the case.

3. You assume that when people say they "want the Barry Opera House back", they are of one mind. Consider that some are talking solely about the outside, others solely about the inside, still more solely about the glamour of the audience, and that some are simply fantasists who believe that a full scale opera house in Valletta is financially feasible.

4. You assume that exhibition visitors saw "a gateless gate" and "a permanent construction site". Perhaps they didn't see it that way at all, even though they wish the design to be different.

Victor Laiviera

Jul 13th 2009, 20:04

Ms Corinne Vella, according to a survey published in another section of the press, 67% do not like the designs and want the Barry Opera House back. I assume many came to that conclusion after visiting the exhibition.

Corinne Vella

Jul 13th 2009, 17:37

Victor Laiviera:You say that the plans for Valletta "have got the thumbs-down from a substantial majority of those who went to see them." I was at the exhibition and did not see anyone soliciting my or anyone else's opinion. It appears that your claim is baseless.

m attard

Jul 13th 2009, 17:28

@ Marvin Mizzi "I just saw a hole in the wall and at the entrance of Valletta.... ".... this is exactly what you are supposed to feel. Piano has recreated the feeling which the Knights wanted everyone to feel when they entered Valletta. No great entrance gate... just an immense feeling when you enter from the small hole in the wall and realise the thickness of the fortifications around you.

Antoine Vella

Jul 13th 2009, 16:58

Marvin Mizzi, If all you saw was a hole in the wall and some metal attached to the ruins, perhaps you might want to change the way you look at things. Try visiting the exhibition but, this time, with an open mind.

Marvin Mizzi

Jul 13th 2009, 13:04

I visited the exhibition as well and it was well organised and even well documented. But infortunately I did not see CIty and not even the Opera house...... I just saw a hole in the wall and at the entrance of Valletta and the to ruins of the wall still there place some metal attached to the ruins marked the opera house ...... so defintely not well done to ahat we are going to to have in our Capital City

Victor Laiviera

Jul 13th 2009, 09:48

I agree fully with Mr Aquilina when he says that the exhibition was put up with "Impressive detail, information and professionalism".

The content, on the other hand, is not so good. The gateless gate and the roofless permanent construction site have got the thumbs-down from a substantial majority of those who went to see them.