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Flimkien
għal Ambjent Aħjar is extremely concerned about development
application PA 00167/08 to
extend St. John`s Museum by constructing a new three-storey building on
the courtyard along Merchants Street, to provide extra space as well as a
canteen at roof level. The
present façade of the Cathedral along Merchants Street will be completely
altered by this structure which though postwar has now blended into the
context of St John’s. This new structure will be built above the graves
of the Knights of the Order.
A
second application, PA 00168/08
proposes to extend St. John`s Co-Cathedral Museum by excavating
chambers below St. John`s Street, connecting them to existing underground
water reservoirs, to construct a vertical lift through all floors as well
as other alterations. These
two water cisterns are amongst the earliest in Valletta, thought to have
been built on the insistence of Laparelli, and should be preserved intact
as evidence of the advanced engineering techniques as well as the
foresight of the Order in assuring Valletta’s water supply.
MEPA
recently scheduled The Cathedral of St John’s as a Grade I national
monument, the highest grade of scheduling possible: “Buildings
of outstanding architectural or historical interest that shall be
preserved in their entirety. Demolition or alterations which impair the
setting or change the external or internal appearance, including anything
contained within the curtilage of the building, will not be allowed.
Internal structural alterations will only be allowed in exceptional
circumstances where this is paramount for reasons of keeping the building
in active use.” Clearly, this does not permit an extension which
changes St. John’s external appearance, just as the Cathedral does not
need an extension in order to remain in use.
This
underground exhibition space is intended to house the Gobelins tapestries,
however in addition to the problems of creating
access, this would require
a considerable air and humidity control installation which will cause
further damage to the vaulted cisterns. It is felt that the potential
risks posed by exhibiting priceless old tapestries in underground
chambers, as well as the inevitable damage to part of the most important
monument that Malta possesses, are totally unacceptable.
The
excavation of St John’s Square to provide more chambers might not only
affect the Cathedral’s foundations, but also destroy the remains of
previous knights’ period structures there.
A further issue is that such a historical and long-established
urban environment that has long been enjoyed by Valletta residents and
visitors should not be destroyed, disrupting the community by depriving it
of trees which are essential for shade and help to remove pollutants from
the air.
Ultimately
one asks, why are we even considering such enormously costly and
potentially damaging projects when much more beneficial alternatives
exist? Government owns
several houses in Valletta, one of which could be passed on to the
Cathedral, thus serving to both restore these neglected premises as well
as providing the exhibition
space which the Foundation says it needs.
One of the deteriorating old palazzos just metres
from
to
become an extension to St. John’s museum.
The
whole City of
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/131
To download the UNESCO World Heritage Convention click on the link below:
http://whc.unesco.org/en/conventiontext/
Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar
19th July 2008