Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1494946
NEWS 7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 15 MARCH 2023 JAMES DEBONO THE erection of two high-rise towers at St George's Bay will mean that the historical Villa Rosa will "not only be dwarfed but also hidden" from a num- ber of locations including St George's Bay itself, a study on the cultural heritage impact oft the development shows. The study by Archeology Services Cooperative assessed the visual impact of the Gar- net Investments project, which includes two "iconic" towers of 34 and 27 floors in the un- touched bay area at the border of Paceville and Pembroke. "It is very clear that with the proposed development, the present skyline, with Villa Rosa perched on a hill and dominat- ing the bay, will be lost forev- er," the environmental impact assessment emphatically con- cludes. Moreover, the terracing pres- ently created by the different levels of the gardens that cul- minate with the Villa on top of the hill, "will be now flanked by two high-rise structures con- necting by a three-storey struc- ture... this characteristic will be completely lost." Noting that the present Villa Rosa gardens will be retained, the context of their visibili- ty will however be completely lost, and the present cultural landscape, already altered by the advent of tourist accommo- dation and entertainment ven- ues in the area, will be altered again. "The context which in- ter-connected the various fea- tures – Moynihan House with the Barracks; the entrenchment with St George's Tower; Villa Rosa and its Gardens with the bay itself – will be overpowered by high-rise structures very close to these features." In view of the impact on the historical landscape, the au- thors of the report called for "a redesign of the project, that may include the reduction of floors and footprint, to mini- mise the visual impact on the general cultural landscape of St George's Bay and particularly Villa Rosa and its gardens." The Art Nouveau Villa Ro- sa was designed by architect Andrea Vassallo in the 1920s. His works included the dome of St Gaetan Parish Church in Hamrun, the dome of St Nich- olas Parish in Siggiewi, and the Sliema government school. According to architect and historian Leonard Mahoney, Villa Rosa was built, "crowning the brow of a hill which was terraced, laid out with exot- ic trees, walks, pergolas and a nymphaeum." In 2018 the Planning Au- thority approved a five-storey high commercial development instead of Moynihan House, a British-era building and the birthplace of Berkeley G.A. Moynihan – the international- ly acclaimed British abdominal surgeon who served as pres- ident of the Royal College of Surgeons of England from 1926 to 1932. A similar study by Archeology Services Cooperative in 2014, included in a previous environ- mental impact statement for the Villa Rosa development, unambiguously concluded that Moynihan House should have been granted Grade 2 protec- tion. In the report the retention of the two buildings was described as an essential element for the integrity of the cultural land- scape of St George's Bay, which would otherwise be "adversely impacted" by the project. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt 'Forever lost' – high-rise will rob Villa Rosa skyline, says EIA study EIA study into St George's Bay high-rise buildings will rob area of skyline with Villa Rosa perched dominant on a hill over bay How high-rise buildings will not just dwarf but hide Villa Rosa from a number of locations