Superintendence welcomes changes to Rialto plans... but regrets loss of cinema projection room

The heritage watchdog has welcomed new plans that preserve the “architectural legibility” of the Rialto theatre in Bormla, a listed property.

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage said the amended plans will preserve the internal spaces, including the auditorium, the viewing gallery and the stage.

The Rialto is owned by the Labour Party, which intends leasing it out to a private company that has presented plans to transform the building into an entertainment and cultural venue.

Moreover, the public authority welcomed the lowering of the overall height of the project, even if plans suggest that the building will still rise one storey above the existing level.

In January, the SCH had warned that a proposal for a higher roof level on the Rialto Theatre in Bormla will impact urban views of the parish church. Since then no new photomontages have been published to reflect the latest changes.

A photomontage showing the proposed development

The plans submitted by Rialto Operations Ltd foresee the creation of a new theatre with catering facilities, a restaurant, a rooftop ‘multipurpose venue’, an interconnected social club, and a boutique hotel linked to an adjacent townhouse.

The PL had issued a call for expressions of interest in 2022 and Rialto Operations Ltd was the selected bidder.

The company is 90% owned by GP Borg Holdings Limited, a ready-mix concrete supplier, with lawyer Charlon Gouder, CEO of Malta’s tuna ranching lobby, holding a 10% stake.

A new roof for the Rialto

In its latest report on the project the Superintendence endorsed plans to replace an existing roof made of asbestos cement sheets  with contemporary synthetic material of similar appearance noting that the roof as being  proposed will evoke the style and appearance of the historical roof despite being larger and more imposing. The cultural heritage watchdog is still encouraging the developers to re-use existing structural elements but recognised this may not be a feasible option, given the change in dimensions and design.

Projection room still in the balance

But the Superintendence is still concerned with plans to demolish a projection room to make way for three lift shafts. According to the projects’ architect the lift shafts are necessary to provide vertical access to the different levels. Moreover, they have excluded relocating the lift shafts to other areas as this would  impact on the fabric and structural integrity of the gallery which is being preserved.

Another option which was excluded was the relocation of the lift shaft into the auditorium, but this would also have a negative impact on the integrity of this important space. While recognising that from the three options considered the location of the lift shafts in the projection room in the best one, SCH is now calling on the developers to propose a “suitable mitigation” for the “undeniable loss to the social historical value of the scheduled property.”  The Superintendence  has also called for an inventory of all items within the projection room, noting that this would serve as a historical record and would facilitate further mitigation.

Stairs to be replaced

The plans will also result in the removal of the the existing stairs and their replacement with new ones. However, the new stairs will be placed in the same location, albeit with a different orientation. The Superintendence concluded that this is an acceptable intervention to ensure  continued and sustainable use of the property. Nevertheless, the Superintendence is insisting that the new stairs should evoke the experience of the existing stairs re-utilising recovered material as far as possible.

Concern on noise

Several residents have expressed concern on the proposed “multi-purpose venue” beneath the reconstructed roof, warning that the use of amplified music and the presence of noisy crowds in events like weddings could have a negative impact on the residential area which surrounds the Rialto and possibly across the harbour.

The matter falls outside the remit of the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage. Neither was the matter addressed by the Environment and Resources Authority and so far, the PA has not requested any studies on this possible impact. But in its decision the PA could also impose conditions.

Contacted by MaltaToday last year and asked how his company intends to address residents’ concerns Gouder replied that commercial operations on the roof of the theatre “will be following procedures and specific permit conditions issued by the relevant authorities, as happens on other sites including other historical buildings in Cottonera which already exist and are run on a commercial model.”

Gouder added that the space on the rooftop will “among other things serve as a space from which one can enjoy the best views of Cottonera and its surroundings.”