Juan Ameen
Unesco to seek information over Valletta development
Like a sore thumb: The Chamber of Architects has questioned whether the extension to this government building in Valletta might compromise the city’s world heritage status.
World heritage authority Unesco is closely following developments in the case of the eight-storey extension to the judiciary chambers which has been highly criticised for marring Valletta’s skyline.
It will be contacting the Maltese government for “information and comments”, a Unesco spokesman has told The Times.
Valletta enjoys Unesco world heritage status. The building in Strait Street has been slammed by heritage groups because the extra floors tower over the surrounding buildings and the Chamber of Architects has questioned if it might compromise the city’s status.
Commissioned by the government, the €1.8 million project involved joining two adjacent houses and raising the floors to eight to accommodate the judiciary chambers and the family court. The development is in line with planning authority permits.
Junaid Sorosh-Wali, from Unesco’s World Heritage Centre, said it had not yet received any complaints about the government project.
However, following The Times’ questions, Mr Sorosh-Wali said he was passing on the information to Icomos International – Unesco’s advisory body on cultural sites – and to the “competent national authorities for information and comments”.
Ray Bondin, Malta’s Ambassador to Unesco, said “as yet, nothing has been received in Malta”.
He explained that any complaints that reach the Unesco World Heritage Centre were passed on to the state, in this case Malta, for a reply and to Icomos.
“If following these responses, Unesco feels there is a need for more information, normally, an inspector is then sent to visit the site and meet the authorities,” Mr Bondin explained.
Each country with a listed heritage site has a “responsibility” to inform the centre of any project that might affect the outstanding universal value of a World Heritage Property, Mr Sorosh-Wali said.
According to heritage operational guidelines, “the World Heritage Committee invites the state parties to the convention to inform... of their intention to undertake or to authorise in an area protected under the convention major restorations or new constructions which may affect the Outstanding Universal Value of the property”.
The guidelines also state that “notice should be given as soon as possible (for instance, before drafting basic documents for specific projects) and before making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse, so the committee may assist in seeking appropriate solutions to ensure the Outstanding Universal Value of the property is fully preserved”.
Once the committee receives comments about a specific project – including the potential heritage impact assessment – it analyses the information and issues its recommendations.
“Most of the potential problems are solved during this bilateral consultation process,” Mr Sorosh-Wali said.
A World Heritage property is delisted by the committee if it loses its “outstanding universal value” after a long process of monitoring and assessment.
So far, only two properties throughout the world have been removed from the World Heritage List, he added.
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31 Comments
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Jo Grima
Feb 4th, 01:45
thanks to MEPA. Malta is looking worse than Beirut
A. MICALLEF
Jan 31st, 08:04
NAME AND SHAME !!! Let us have the names of those sitting on the board who responsable
for the approval of this and other scandalous permits, like the Mgarr Hotel in Gozo.
Kleaven Maniscalco
Jan 31st, 00:03
My God this thing really looks ugly. I don't know how mepa approved this.....anyway now its useless pointing fingers.....I would discuss remedial measures now because this is Valletta we are talking about
Mario Spiteri
Jan 30th, 22:02
All those people who are disgusted by this abuse of MEPA Government and Law Courts should register on the Facebook page which demands to know what is going to be done about this building and, just as inportantly, who is going to pay - the MEPA board that issued this permit or us taxpayers?
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Min-ser-jaghmel-xi-haga-fuq-din-il-porkerija-gewwa-il-Belt-valletta/143659519085083?sk=photos
In lest than 24 hours it attracted 1,350 subscribers. I'm sure that our politicians are busy looking elsewhere (I wont say where) but they should be seeing what the people are feeling and they need to tell us what they are going to do about it.
Mr vinny vella
Jan 30th, 19:32
Ahh MEPA does it again.........and again......and again..........and again.............and again..............
Mario Spiteri
Jan 30th, 19:18
All those people who are disgusted by this abuse of MEPA Government and Law Courts should register on the Facebook page which demands to know what is going to be done about this building and, just as inportantly, who is going to pay - the MEPA board that issued this permit or us taxpayers?
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Min-ser-jaghmel-xi-haga-fuq-din-il-porkerija-gewwa-il-Belt-valletta/143659519085083?sk=photos
In lest than 24 hours it attracted 1,350 subscribers. I'm sure that our politicians are busy looking elsewhere (I wont say where) but they should be seeing what the people are feeling and they need to tell us what they are going to do about it.
Robert Lewis
Jan 30th, 18:52
Probabbli qeghdin jinpikaw mal Kampnar tal Knisja tal Karmnu u mal Kampnar tal-Knisja ta l-Inglizi. Pastazata ohra first class ma dak il hadid li tara kif tidhol gewwa il Belt Kapitali ta Malta, u ghal Mepa qisu xejn mhu xejn. Jien naf bi blokka ohra gewwa San il Pawl il Bahar u Alla jista kollox bil barka tal Mepa. Dr Gonzi you should scrap Mepa immediately. Dawn il-hnizrijiet fejn jidher ahseb u ara fejn ma jarah hadd.
Patrick Zammit
Jan 30th, 17:49
According to the Environmental Performance Index (Yale University), Malta is ranked at position 87, a lower ranking than countries like Zimbabwe, Viet Nam and Brazil.
Is there any well paid official at Mepa to please explain?
http://epi.yale.edu/epi2012/rankings
Charles Micallef
Jan 30th, 16:28
Who is going to accept responsibility for this blot on Valletta’s landscape and better still is there anyone else besides the long suffering taxpayer who will be held financially responsible for the cost of the now proposed alterations.
In Qawra, we recently had some established scrubs uprooted along with pavement and pavement curbs in a last minute desperate act to relocate the kiosks on the promenade, and after a change of heart by these desperados, they re-instated the curb stones and pavement, although the shrubs have not been replanted, and again, may one ask the Ministry concerned, is the long suffering taxpayer will again be held responsible?
Joe Grech
Jan 30th, 16:09
The latest scandal - not just by MEPA (whose Chairman should resign) but also by the administration, including (quite unbelievably) Dr. Mario DeMarco.
This veritable eyesore simply needs to be taken down. A.s.a.p.
It makes us Maltese look worse that the worst Barbarians.
How can Ministers go to Brussels to parley with their partners after this vile insensitivity to Valletta's Unesco World Heritage Status?
O GALEA
Jan 30th, 15:47
we nearly lost Unesco heritage status when The Point was built.... Understandably. The view from valletta towards sliema is simply ugly.
However, Manuel Island still looks beautiful from Valletta.... but for how much longer ? two high rise blocks of flats and a 9 storey office block are scheduled it seems. Wasn't Manuel Island supposed to have only villas ? What it SHOULD have been, is a national park. But the govt. saw fit to sell it to the highest bidder.
Manoel island is now private property and nobody is allowed to visit the restored historical sites.
Pls somebody, lets try and save manoel island for all the Maltese to enjoy. we're still in time to do something :-( if sliema nearly lost us heritage status then the proposed buildings on manoel island surely will !
Patrick Zammit
Jan 30th, 13:14
Weren't we promised by the PM that Mepa would fall under "a good pair of hands"?
Jack Attard
Jan 30th, 14:12
That's right Taht Gonzi kollox hu possibli
Mark Vella
Jan 30th, 14:49
Yes but it fell under Gonzi's....... :(
John iNGUANEZ
Jan 30th, 12:29
Has anyone took upon himself/herself to look at this building from The Ferries. It is not higher than the Valletta skyline. And the protests are that it breaches the skyline. I would like to hear the reaction of the protesters about this........
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Jan 30th, 13:50
Come to Valletta and look at it from Strait Street or Old Bakery Street. It sticks out like a skyscraper. Apart from that, the building has been built without any taste at all- no effort to integrate with the buildings around it. It is just a block of cement blocks - is this what you would like for Valletta? Oh yes, the GOvt said it wants to kodernise Valletta. I suppose you also like the Piano project - go have a look at it. I have seen people staring at at and shaking their heads. Another GonziPN decision gone completely wrong - and of course as always, we taxpayers foot the bill.
Claudia Agius
Jan 30th, 14:36
I don't think it's just the skyline that has earned Valletta the World Heritage title by UNESCO!!! Should we excuse this monstruosity just because it does not effect the skyline when it simply does not fit in this city?!!
Astrid Vella
Jan 31st, 04:31
Mr. Inguanez, the 'skyline' is not to be taken that literally as Valletta's silhouette, but as a roofscape, in which case this building is very apparent as an eyesore even from way across the harbour.
Raymond Sacco
Jan 30th, 11:32
Unesco might also want to seek informatiuon about the horrible, outrageous new parliament building?
Joseph Grech Attard
Jan 30th, 11:26
Valletta has been marred more than once - the then Kingsgate to allow King Carnival to enter the city, the present Law Courts, the Embassy Complex, the road dividng the bastions, the present Piano's buildings, etc are a few examples. People who approve such projects should be held PERSONALLY responsible.
Lawrence Fenech
Jan 30th, 11:18
If Unesco still exists it should investigate the half baked theatre and the Valletta entrance. What a construction of rubbish and a waste of the tax payer's money.
Jon Vercellono
Jan 30th, 10:58
Mr. Gonzi, tear down that wall.
Mr Joseph Carmel Chetcuti
Jan 30th, 10:17
Unesco should give Malta a choice - Valletta off the heritage status or demolish the addition. What incompetence. How can they put up a building like this in Strait Street, the narrowest street in Valletta. If GonziPN does not demolish it, the PL should.
JC Sullivan
Jan 30th, 10:14
Is it not interesting that the Judiciary's chambers would probably have one of the best views of the Islands!
- Police desks up high to make you feel small and "them" BIGGER
- The Courts - "them" up high and mighty and us, down below
- The Chambers - up high and mighty leaving the common folk down below like riffraff.
Who was it that said the poor get poorer and the rich and mighty get protected? Oh yeah, that was ME.
Jo Meli
Jan 30th, 13:51
Sicily is clearly visibile on a crispy night and a fine morning !
Victor Rodenas
Jan 30th, 10:12
We have a new Cavallier.
M Grima
Jan 30th, 10:08
And MEPA is supposed to ensure that nothing of this sort happens. And what about Malta's ambassador to UNESCO? He was either very distracted or else ........
You don't have to be an architect to see that this building is an eyesore, but because 'together, everything is possible' anything goes in the land of Mickey.
Mario Spiteri
Jan 30th, 09:59
All those people who are disgusted by this abuse of MEPA Government and Law Courts should register on the Facebook page which demands to know what is going to be done about this building and, just as inportantly, who is going to pay - the MEPA board that issued this permit or us taxpayers?
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Min-ser-jaghmel-xi-haga-fuq-din-il-porkerija-gewwa-il-Belt-valletta/143659519085083?sk=photos
In lest than 24 hours it attracted 1,350 subscribers. I'm sure that our politicians are busy looking elsewhere (I wont say where) but they should be seeing what the people are feeling and they need to tell us what they are going to do about it.
MARK MIFSUD BONNICI
Jan 30th, 09:57
what does UNESCO have to say about a Parliament on stilts right next to the entrance of a city given Unesco world heritage status?
Paul Cassar
Jan 30th, 09:46
IF MEPA HAS GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT TO THIS MONSTROSITY......................how can it look other cowboys in the face?
SHAME A THOUSANDS TIMES OVER...................and is the Minister handing in his resignation, NOW??
Pippo DeMarco
Jan 30th, 15:44
Another case of two weights and two measures my friend.
Who was it that brought Mepa under the control of the OPM promising transparency and reform ? - Hmmmm, I wonder ?
Surely anyone who cared anything for Valletta wouldn't have let Renzo Piano anywhere near it.
And as for Unesco .... Enough said.