The entity tasked with ensuring the protection and accessibility of Malta’s cultural heritage is hopeful “corrections” are made to the Auberge de Castille lighting system.
Cultural Heritage Superintendent Anthony Pace refused to say whether the controversial lighting system was in line with the conditions imposed by his office.
However, he said corrections needed to be made and the Superintendence was working closely with the Grand Harbour Regeneration Project (GHRC) to make sure this is done. The conditions set by the Superintendence were tabled in Parliament by Culture Minister Owen Bonnici following a request by Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi.
The conditions said, among other things, that no irreversible interventions could be made to the facade, all wiring must be colour coded and, where possible, old ducting used.
Restoration experts told the Times of Malta last week the conditions were not observed and that irreversible damage was done to the facade. Pressed yesterday to state whether the project’s implementation respected the conditions, Mr Pace skirted the question and said “the Superintendence is working closely with the GHRC to make sure that corrections are made”
Testing and commissioning is still being carried out
Distancing himself from the project’s implementation, Mr Pace insisted the Superintendence had no power to order the dismantling of the system, adding “there are other authorities which can do that”. When asked to state why the Superintendence, which was supposed to monitor the project, had not corrected the contractors immediately when the lights were being mounted, Mr Pace said: “We told them… now we are working to make the necessary changes.”
GHRC chairman Stefan Zrinzo Azzoppardi did not reply to questions from this newspaper on whether the rules had been observed and said “testing and commissioning is still being carried out”.
“Once concluded, results will be analysed and such details will be communicated,” he added.
The project, which should also see similar LED light tubes mounted on St James Cavalier and the Malta Stock Exchange building, was entrusted to RVC Ltd, which won a government tender, worth €300,000.
RVC was the only bidder.
Four conditions
• Any intervention carried out on the facade should be of a reversible nature and must not impact the aesthetic and original fabric of the scheduled monuments.
• The selected route for the laying of the cables should avoid intervening on historic fabric and must reutilise old duct routes blocked off during recent restorative interventions.
• Any light fitting which requires attaching to the façade must make use of non-corrosive metallic pins (preferably stainless steel pins) to avoid staining the facade with corrosion stains.
• All the visible wiring must be colour-coded to reduce impacting visually on the aesthetic values of the facade.
Conversation with Anthony Pace
ToM: Are you satisfied with the way the new lighting system has been mounted?
AP: At the moment the project is in the testing and commissioning stage. We are giving our input on how things can be improved.
ToM: Were the conditions set by the Superintendence observed?
AM: One has to see our conditions together with the method statement of the project. Public opinion seems to have turned against us on this project.
ToM: Do you blame them? At the end of the day, isn’t it the Superintendence that is supposed to be the watchdog of our cultural heritage?
AP: But we are doing our part. We are working with the GHRC to mend the problems. However, we didn’t do the project ourselves.
ToM: Will corrections be made?
AP: Of course. Some cables which seem to be extra will have to be removed.
ToM: One of the conditions you imposed was that cables should be colour-coded. They are not. Will you tell them to change the wiring?
AP: We told them. But we are not doing the project ourselves.
ToM: Will you consider asking them to dismantle the whole system?
AP: There are other authorities which can do that. But not us. If there are mistakes they have to be corrected.
ToM: Why ‘if’? Were there mistakes or not?
AP: Some people are saying there are mistakes.
ToM: So will the mistakes be corrected?
AP: I hope that corrections are made.