MaltaToday

.
News | Sunday, 11 January 2009

Co-Cathedral extension: ‘other buildings should be considered’


The use of other historical buildings in Valletta to house the Flemish tapestries and other artefacts found in St John’s Co-Cathedral’s museum should be considered in a forthcoming environment impact statement on the proposed extension of the cathedral museum.
A project development statement by Bencini and Associates on behalf of the St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation, states that the EIS should indicate which buildings can be considered for this purpose.
The proposal to house the tapestries in other historical buildings was originally made by Flimkien Ghall-Ambjent Ahjar spokesperson Astrid Vella.
But the PDS explicitly states that the Foundation disagrees with this option, because the artefacts in question are directly connected with St John’s Co-Cathedral, and the Flemish tapestries, which require the largest space in the extension, were given as a gift to Grand Master Perellos.
“Exhibiting these tapestries elsewhere in Valletta would be a departure from established trends in museum management,” the document states.
In fact the document focuses on the two proposals favoured by the Foundation, namely extending it by four underground exhibition halls, and constructing a three-storey structure on the existing courtyard.
Therefore it is not clear what the Foundation, which will be paying for these studies, will do if an alternative historical building to house the tapestries is found.
The document also notes that excavations needed for the construction of the underground halls has to be considered with “substantial caution” because of their impact on known and unknown underground structures.
It also warns of the possibility of damage caused by vibrations which could have an adverse impact on the Cathedral itself and calls for geological, hydrological and geotechnical investigations in the EIS.
The document also acknowledges that the other alternative, that of building on the existing courtyard, will have a significant visual impact which can only be mitigated by the quality of the architectural design.

jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt

St John’s Co-Cathedral
http://stjohnscocathedral.com

 


Any comments?
If you wish your comments to be published in our Letters pages please click button below.
Please write a contact number and a postal address where you may be contacted.

Search:



MALTATODAY
BUSINESSTODAY


Reporter
All the interviews from Reporter on MaltaToday's YouTube channel.


EDITORIAL


The world as an accomplice


INTERVIEW


OPINIONS



Raphael Vassallo :
Not the eight o’ clock news...


Evarist Bartolo :
The politics of ‘nolle prosequi’

Vince Farrugia
The year of the pragmatist

Marco Cremona
New car registration is no eco-tax

David Friggieri
Dispatches from Cambodia


Planning Watch:
Robert Musumeci states that MEPA’s policies regulating storage to commercial outlets should be changed following a decision taken this week

Switching from outline application to full mode… during a dcc hearing

Reservoir turned dwelling, and now stables

A permit following court order

Dwellings in basements

High rise in Valletta



Eric German:
Vegetarian vampires
Carrey’s comeback movie

Far from magical
The package is a girl

Relationships without marriage
Everything but the girl

The saga of a police family
Battling the “unlife”

The repeaters’ cartoon



A tribute to Ebba von Fersen Balzan




Copyright © MediaToday Co. Ltd, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016, Malta, Europe
Managing editor Saviour Balzan | Tel. ++356 21382741 | Fax: ++356 21385075 | Email