Does anyone else wonder why the new Mrieħel Towers mega-project – and the American University project at Żonqor Point for that matter – could not, with advantage, be located offshore rather than on land?

I pose the question because the other day there were four large cruise liners in Grand Harbour at the same time, plus a cluster of even larger offshore oil platforms in for repair across at the Drydocks.

Evidence of such dramatic contrasts becoming accepted aesthetically – even within a World Heritage setting – is that it is pictured on postcards for tourists to post off promoting Malta’s scenic appeal.

I also wonder if comparative EIA (Environment Impact Assessment) studies on such mega-structures being sited offshore might show benefits.

Those four cruise liners were surprisingly silent and apparently environmentally ‘clean’.

By contrast, close to the Mrieħel Towers site the other day, we waited 20 minutes for a (diesel) bus to stop on the Attard Road. We could actually see as well as inhale the smoke pall from the appallingly heavy traffic.

And all that traffic borders one of the most desirable residential areas in Malta. (What harmcan this be doing to Malta’s future leaders?)

Maltese architects are noted for conceptualising spectacular mega-projects in the grand baroque tradition – though the island is short on space to accommodate them. Many will know of Archigram proposing a futuristic ‘Walking City’ back in the 1960s.

Fifty years on, such technicalities are commonplace within the offshore energy industry.

For the island’s dual-qualification architects and civil engineers, this should offer opportunity rather than problems.

One could visualise a future where a flourishing offshore settlement complements traditional Malta. It is all electric with solar generation on the south-facing surfaces. Components get floated in and removed for re-fitting from time to time.

The wonderful underwater seascapes revealed are there tobe enjoyed by inhabitants as much as Malta’s remaining unspoilt valley landscapes.