Is Valletta's World Heritage status really at risk?

For some urban areas and streets, people often refer to a "sense of place" or genius loci. People experience something that goes beyond the physical or sensory properties of the place. The physical form and aesthetics of buildings impinge on the sense of place but it goes beyond that. The "meaning" or association of buildings and urban spaces contributes significantly to the experience of place.

Valletta has an identity and character that is second to none. It is located on a peninsula separating two harbours. The fortifications surrounding the city are impressive both for their extent and for their height. Valletta streetscapes feature numerous timber balconies and stone features and carvings. Walking down any street in Valletta is an experience to remember, more so for our foreign visitors. There are innumerable important public and religious buildings, each with its own particular form and meaning and each adding that something special to Valletta's genius loci. Valletta's distinctive identity is intricately linked with our identity as a nation.

All this and more gives Valletta a remarkable sense of place.

In a report in The Times on August 11 it was claimed that the World Heritage status of Valletta is at risk. Could this really be true? From The Times report it appears that there are two main items of concern.

The first relates to additions at roof level and the impact these could have on Valletta's skyline. The Valletta skyline consists of the stepping effect of relatively small cubic shapes, with visual accents created by the dominant landmarks of important religious buildings.

Over a period of many years, there may have been a dozen, at worse two dozen, additions at roof level. Such a small number of additions, each of which is of a relatively small scale, had minimal, if any, effect on the general view of the Valletta skyline. The typical stepping effect of the skyline as described above has remained unchanged. The views of Valletta from, say, Senglea Point or Fort St Angelo (or even from a cruise ship as it enters harbour) have remained unchanged.

The second concern relates to the development on Tigné peninsula and the effect this could have on Valletta's context. The development on the Tigné peninsula is separated from Valletta by a wide stretch of water. The experience and the genius loci that one experiences in most of Valletta's street is not affected in any way by the Tigné developments. Having the Tigné development visible from one side street is hardly enough reason to warrant the loss of Valletta's Word Heritage status.

In a letter to The Times (August 17), Alex Torpiano demonstrates how misleading The Times report of August 11 was when it claimed that the Unesco's World Heritage Committee is actively considering to remove Valletta's World Heritage status.

From the text of the decision (available on website), the WHC is requesting further information and clarifications and nowhere is there any suggestion that Valletta's status is in danger. Such requests are normal procedures of the WHC.

Like Valletta, Bath in England is a World Heritage site. Concerns were expressed about various modern developments within the city. A mission from the WHC visited Bath to assess the situation.

Bath Western Riverside development is described in the WHC report as a "large scale re-development of an extensive flat area alongside the river, in the centre of the World Heritage property... The area is in the bowl of the valley and thus can be seen from higher parts of the city. The proposals (are) to develop the area with a dominant cluster of large blocks of some 2,000 flats rising to six storeys high and with three taller buildings, one anticipated to be nine storeys high and two of eight storeys, next to the river...."

In its June meeting in Seville, the WHC decided that "the realisation of the first phase of the Western Riverside project will not have a negative impact on the outstanding universal value and integrity of the city of Bath".

It also recommended that "consideration be given to adapting the second and third phases in terms of a re-division of mass and heights of the buildings ...."

It is worth noting the WHC decision on Bath for two reasons. First, there is a long drawn out process that the WHC goes through before a site is considered for removal from the World Heritage list. Secondly, and more important, new development does not necessarily mean that the World Heritage status is in danger, even if the development is substantial. What matters is the impact of the development on "the outstanding universal value and integrity of the city".

There is no indication in the WHC's decision of any intention to remove Valletta's World Heritage status nor does it intend to initiate the process leading to such removal.

The impact of developments has to be considered on Valletta in its totality rather than focusing on a particular street or building. The impact of a few additions on rooftops and the development of apartments on the other side of Marsamxett harbour has little or no effect on Valletta in it is totality and, therefore, could not remotely be considered to threaten Valletta's World Heritage status.

Mr Ebejer, an architect and urban planner, is secretary of Valletta Alive Foundation.