Let us not forget that Renzo Piano may really be one of the greatest architects around, but there are so many more hundreds of great architects around the world – why do we have a choice of just one great architect’s vision? Again why does it have to be a modern style great architect’s vision on its own? What about a vision of a great architect who is capable of giving us a Baroque style architecture as well? Who decided we wanted contrasting and not complimentary architecture for our capital city entrance? Who should decide?

Here is the main point I wish to make … most people must approve because Malta belongs to all of us and it is our own money being forked out for it. If we do not trust our own people’s judgment of what is considered to be acceptable to the learned and magnificent few, let us have a shortlist of varied architectural visions which would be acceptable to the learned and magnificent few, and then let the unlearned people decide on the shortlisted acceptable designs.

Finally a point on what you refer to as the “giant plinth” in Barry’s design. Note that from what I have seen so far this “giant plinth” is the main architectural “feature” this “great architect in history” is retaining in his “permanent construction site” design on offer to us for the Opera House ruins site. As far as I am concerned, again specifically referring to this site, this is just a case of an “Emperor’s new clothes” – but as the story goes, we would not be intelligent if we do not to say that it’s beautiful.

[Daphne – Why is it necessary that most people approve? To ensure that the Nationalist Party is not voted out on the basis of a building – or for some other reason? We part company on this one, I’m afraid. Look at the way ‘most people’ dress. The way they decorate their houses. The way they eat. The way they live their lives. The choices they make. How in heaven’s name are ‘most people’ qualified to decide what should be built at the entrance to Valletta, and how are they more qualified than one of the greatest architects in history? If we were to go with the popular vote, we would end up with a perfect replica of Barry’s pastiche, which was outdated already at the time and designed by somebody who had never visited the site and so didn’t allow for the slope, hence the giant plinth that is pretty much all that is left of it today. If clothes were put to the popular vote, we would all be obliged to wear very tight things in synthetic materials, regardless of our shape, with as much ugly underwear on show as possible, plastic boots with long pointed toes and spindly heels, preferably in white, and hair dyed blue-black with its natural curls blow-dried to extinction so that it hangs about our face like dead sea-weed. As for the men – don’t get me started. And our houses would all look the same, with ‘sets’ of furniture and bathrooms and kitchens bought exactly as displayed in the showroom, and with no ornaments because they gather dust, no carpets because they’re ‘ingonbru’ and no books or periodicals because they’re ‘imbarazz’. What happened the last time people took a vote on a purely aesthetic matter? They voted to put Christ on our euro-coins to show Them how Christian we are.]

[Daphne – I like it.It’s certainly more attractive than the architectural pastiche of an opera house that some people want resurrected like something from Disneyworld.]

http://www.mimoa.eu/images/1238_l.jpg

Naturally, you are an expert in such matters, so we bow to your superior knowledge on the subject.

[Daphne – Very amusing, Sybil. Unlike many of the others campaigning for the opera house or the parliament house, I am one of those who can say that they have no vested interest in the matter. I am not a parliamentarian, I can’t give a flying monkey’s about opera, the theatre or most of what passes for modern art in Malta – so my work is not going to be displayed or performed in the building, nor am I going to have an office there. But then I do know quite a bit about social organisation, city spaces, architecture and yes, I do have a stronger sense of aesthetics than most, plus a very good understanding of how money works and what running costs mean. I also know that there are some decisions that just can’t be taken by popular vote, otherwise we would have no taxes, all concerts would be free and there would be no fiscal cash registers in shops. We elect politicians not just to administer the day-to-day running of the country but sometimes, just sometimes, to make the occasional decision without the need for a referendum in the newspapers or petitions organised by people who can see only one aspect of an issue. Let’s put it this way, if Astrid Vella, AD and modern technology were around in the mid-16th century, the building of Valletta would have been plagued with protesters, petitions, sub-literate comments on news portals, critical radio phone-ins and endless whining about the ruination of Mount Sceberras (“Don’t we already have one city? Do we need another one?”)]

Dr Emmy Bezzina,B.A.,LL.D.,Dip.S.Th. (21 hours, 30 minutes ago)
THIS IS A SERVILE MENTALITY BEING COMPENSATED OUT OF THE TAXPAYERS` FUNDS…WE DO NOT NEED THIS PIANO WHEN WE HAVE VERY COMPETENT ARCHITECTS WHO COULD DO THE JOB MUCH BETTER AND A FAR LESS EXPENDITURE EXERCISE.TO COME TO MALTA PIANO`S TRIP & ACCOMMODATION WAS UNDOUBTEDLY PAID FOR AT OUR EXPENSE – PIANO SHOULD VISIT ST JAMES` CAVALIER WHERE THERE IS CURRENTLY ON EXHIBIT A FANTASTIC EXHIBIT OF MALTESE ARCHITECTS` MASTERPIECES.HE WILL LEARN SOMETHING THEREFROM AND WE DO NOT NEED HIM TELLING US WHERE OUR NATIONAL SERVANTS SHOULD SIT – THEY SIT WHERE THE PEOPLE TELL THEM TO SIT & IF THE PEOPLE DO NOT WANT THEM TO SIT THERE,THEN THEY WILL NOT SIT THERE – OK Mr.PIANO AND DO NOT BE SERVILE TO WHOEVER BROUGHT YOU HERE – WE DO NOT NEED YOU TO TELL US WHERE OUR HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SHOULD BE – SO KINDLY GET THAT MESSAGE.

VALLETTA HAS A STYLE ALL ONTO ITS OWN – THE SEA CAN BE VIEWED VERTICALLY DOWN – IF YOU LOOKED UP OFCOURSE YOU COULD NOT SEE THE SEA: THE PEOPLE WERE NOT CONSULTED SO PLEASE GO BACK & LET US DO IT!

[Daphne – Such a shame he monopolised the divorce movement and frightened all the credible people away.]

Anyway, I’m not really holding my breath considering what City Gate & the opera site look like now…it can’t really get any worse.