Partit Demokratiku calls for Royal Opera House to be rebuilt

Partit Demokratiku has suggested that the former Royal Old Opera House in Valletta should be rebuilt.

“The site has been the subject of debate for decades, with no satisfying solution ever found,” the PD said. “The Renzo Piano project cannot be said to have been a total success, given the government’s promise for a public consultation on the site. Therefore, it seems long overdue that the people of Malta should be given what they have wanted all along — for the building to be returned to its former glory.”

Partit Demokratiku also approved of the purchase of Villa Guardamangia, “a unique treasure in Malta’s patrimony that can do much to elevate quality tourism and guard our collective memory.” Nonetheless, for the reconstruction of the opera house, Partit Demokratiku has called for a tender and publicprivate partnership so that the project would not come at the expense of other areas of the country in need of investment, especially with many still living at risk of poverty.

The project, as envisioned by Partit Demokratiku, would respect architectural principles, and a completely identical reconstruction would be one of the options on the table, although deviations in design in keeping with said principles should not be excluded. The building would not necessarily serve as an opera house, but could serve multiple purposes which benefit the general public, the party said.

Partit Demokratiku believes that the former Royal Opera House, “an iconic and muchmissed gem in Malta’s patrimony, remains one of the great requests of the public ignored without reason or empathy. The chance should be taken to bring it back to life, albeit in a way which suits the needs of 21st century Malta.”