Over 60 years have passed since the Valletta Opera House suffered a direct hit during World War II.

Today (earlier ideas Oct 2004 - Dec 2008), a new solution to this important, yet still undeveloped, landmark is in sight. Architect Giovanni Trevisan has contributed to the design for a flexible, no-nonese answer to an old wound in the capital.

Based on the numerous expectations and suggestions, Dr Ing Trevisan’s design incorporates the past while looking to the future.

 

The plans are the solution so that a prime site in the heart of the capital can become a symbol of Malta's ability to cooperate, move forward and participate.

The former Opera House was built by Barry in 1886 in neoclassical style. Today, some people consider that Barry’s design should be rebuilt, while others call for a new design to reflect today’s sentiment. This proposal recommends a collaboration of both principles. The solution works on the premise of respecting the imprint of previous designs. It works with these factors in a flexible manner while providing room for change and growth, according to future needs.

Irrespective of the use, the structure is necessary to complete the City’s main road. In the next few pages, we aim to explain how this can be done based on Dr Ing Trevisan’s suggestions. This proposal suggests how the site could be used for cultural activities.

What needs to be changed? Why Change?

Change is inevitable.

 

The steam engine was replaced by the internal combustion engine.

The train gave way to the car.

The doorway to Valletta was replaced to allow a wide entrance through which King-Carnival could comfortably enter.  

 

In the 1950s the Royal Opera House Reconstruction Committee invited six renowned architects to submit proposals for the reconstruction of the Opera house site. The Committee selected Dr. Ing. Zavellani Rossi’s design which consisted of an entrance portico and the broad colonnaded square wherein the Opera House would be replaced. The colonnaded was subsequently built according to this design.

 

Ing Trevisan compares this to Bernini's colonade enbracing people as they approach the Vatican, but Malta's project has remained unfinished as the Opera House that has not yet been built.

This Proposal offers to complete the project and:

 

  • respects Dr Ing Zavellani Rossi’s considered concept;
  • respects Architect Barry’s original design while allowing for future considerations;
  • respects today’s citizens by offering a feasible and manageable solution that can be executed without delay.

Proposal:

 

Entrance to Valletta  

Restore the entrance portico and the broad colonnade.

   

Level the square by raising a 3 metre high walled space roofed with a lawn.

This would provide:

  • a wall defined road.

  • a lawned square.

  • a 2500 square meter space for rehersals, exhibitions .....

Restore existing ruins.

Roof the existing ground floor.

Without infringing on the existing ruins, erect a state-of-the-art, hi-tech, flexible infrastructure.

 

The adjacent square should be levelled so that the wedged shaped floor, which was built in the 19th century to level off the ground under the Opera House, will no longer seem out of proportion.

 

  The structure is necessary to complete the City’s main road.

These buildings would complete a project that was started in the 1950s. These structures’ presence and external qualities are enough reason for their construction.

The square could now be considered as the Contenitore del QUOTIDIANO whilst the replaced Opera House can be considered as the Contenitore dello SPIRITO.

In the future:
  •          Should a better use of the old opera house site be agreed upon, the “ Crystal Palace installation” can be dismantled and relocated,
  •          Should it be appreciated as a valid structure, it may remain as were the “Grand & Petit Palais in Paris ” after their intended use for the 1900 exhibition.
Should Malta follow the Parisian example, the crystal palace can similarly be embellished with marble and/or stone to look like the 1866 design of Architect Barry.

 
 

 

 

Or it can be embellished to other designs after agreement is reached.  

Below are two examples of possible future stone embellishment of the high-tech infrastructure.  

 
The model presented in this exhibition
(photo by Fr M. Zerafa O.P.)
 
r

This façade was designed by Richard England in 2006 for a multi-purpose building and is one of the various excellent designs that incorporate the use of glass. These designs encouraged Trevisan to suggest constructing the site in two phases where Phase 1 would be the construction of a finished High-Tech Structure wherein one can debate over further embellishment possibilities.

e
Prof England and Arch Giovanni Trevisan.

 
Arch. Giovanni Trevisan's proposal for future cladding of the High Tech structure.

 

 
The project is being studied also to evaluate the best manner to use this structure as
a renewable energy generator.
The advantages of these ventilated cavity walls are multiple:
  • The main advantage, and indeed the main reason for its development, lie in the minimalisation of the temperature differences between the air in the room and the surface of the glass wall. This improves the thermal comfort conditions in the office space nearer to the wall and thus reduces energy costs for heating in winter and cooling in summer. Also it improves the efficiency of floor use, because working close to the wall is more comfortable.
  • The heat insulation properties are much better than that of a normal, double glazing facade, because of the extra insulating properties of the ventilated cavity
  • The noise reduction is also better than normal for the same reasons
  • A heat exchanger can be used to reclaim energy from the exhaust air.

    In architectural terms, the ventilated cavity wall is one of the few feasible possibilities of using a fully glazed wall. But there are also some disadvantages because of the airflow, the inner sheet and the blinds pollute quickly. In order to clean the inside of the cavity, the inner single sheet must be made to open. This can be done by sliding or hinging. The system works best when the outer sheet is closed. Nevertheless in many cases the facades are equipped with windows that open up onto the outside, thus disturbing the air flow greatly.

Urban considerations

 

 

 
The Opera House site links the backbone of the city (Republic Street) to the hub, the bus terminus.
The Valletta bus terminus is a particularly interesting feature of Malta, as many traditional style buses still surround the Triton Fountain.
The use of the spaces.

The raised square is here referred to as the contenitore del QUOTIDIANO.

With an added dug out floor below, this could provide the large space required to comfortably house a modern and efficient parliament building as well as the necessary offices.

A lawn covering the square would offer a fresh welcome into the city, whilst also being usable as an outdoor relaxation area.  

 

 

 

 

A surrounding ditch embellished with plants has been proposed so that the basement will enjoy full daylight.

 

 

 


The contenitore dello SPIRITO could be returned to the ARTS.

In the 19th Century, the Malta Royal Opera House was the third most important Opera House in Europe . Today, in the twenty first century, its limited seating capacity of 1000 would not allow it to rank amongst the more important Opera Houses.

 

This project suggests the following use:

The above photo, suggests the use of the basement and ground floor spaces as ART galleries.

 

  • An International Center for Caravaggio Studies can be accommodated in the newly excavated basement.

 

  • The Ground floor can be used for contemporary art exhibitions. Artists can enjoy this prestigious site to exhibit their works.

 

  • The Main floor can retain the use of an auditorium.

 

  • The Attic can accommodate libraries, workshops and recreational areas.

 

The building is intended to also house a digital library, a space dedicated to the memory to the blitz, and a space dedicated as a tribute to architecture. Projections of huge digital images on its glass facades will show activities at Malta ’s historical monuments as they happen.

 

Sept 2008 it was confirmed that the building can also function perfectly as a theatre seating 1400 with full size stage/ back stage etc etc

 

Trevisan's project did not capture enough public support.

In Dec 2008 priority was given to the name of the architect.

In June 2009 Renzo Piano's model was very well exhibited.

Trevisan sensitively reduced his proposal to...