Alfred Griscti, Sliema
A national theatre for the glory of the capital city
Renzo Piano says that he has persuaded the Prime Minister not to build Parliament on the ex-Opera House site. This makes sense, but on the other hand by building Parliament in the Freedom Square area Mr Piano may unwittingly be compromising forever the possibility of having a state-of-the-art national theatre on the ex-Opera House site and the adjoining area.
It would be unpardonable if this were to happen in order to build Parliament. There is no doubt that Parliament needs to move out of the Presidential Palace and be equipped with proper facilities. But rather than clutter the entrance area of Valletta, has Mr Piano been briefed to explore the possibility of housing Parliament in one of the beautiful auberges that adorn Valletta? The resultant expense would be far less than a new building, and the saving could be employed to build the national theatre, with up-to-date amenities, which Valletta culturally deserves. If we really intend to restore the glory of our capital city, we must not forego building a national theatre.
Besides, a roofless theatre makes no sense in windy, dusty, noisy Malta and such an eventuality would only attract second or third rate performers to the theatre. So instead of enhancing Valletta as a cultural city, we would be degrading it in importance.
Please, therefore, let us indeed make a leap in quality and take the right steps to accommodate Parliament, as is necessary, but not at the expense of having a magnificent national theatre where it belongs. This we must do for posterity, thereby emulating our forefathers.
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v.pulis
Aug 8th 2009, 10:39
The parliament building was an afterthought in the Valletta entrance project. Renzo Piano had to accomodate the building in that space somehow and he compromised by downgrading the opera house plans. Mr. Piano says that he persuaded the prime minister not to build the parliament on the opera house site but I think it was the prime minister who persuaded Renzo Piano to give priority to the Parliament building.
Ian Waugh
Aug 8th 2009, 10:18
The fact it was, allegedly, Renzo Piano and not the Maltese people who persuaded the PM to do a u-turn on the status of the opera house bomb site places a dodgy cloud over an otherwise wise decision.
Surely these experts and decision-makers have positively taken everything into consideration with this plan. I mean, what’s the point of having all these people if they don't do at least lip service, to every eventuality, especially to a theatre open to the elements. I mean theatre is highly technical as we know to enable maximum enjoyment.
Even the question by another of your readers regarding the noise levels from fireworks and the rest particularly during July and August which presumably will be a very busy time for this topless theatre. We presume therefore that the resulting localised noise will not in any way affect proposed performances and therefore will not upset the paying audiences.
I think we all should hope that today's decision-makers and incumbent, here today, gone tomorrow politicians bear in mind Mr. Griscti's words "for posterity, thereby emulating our forefathers".
Shouldn’t we?