Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/712521
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 7 AUGUST 2016 15 Interview Architect CONRAD THAKE argues that decisions to go high-rise should be preceded by a masterplan, not vice-versa masterplan compliance with ecological as- pects';… 'In keeping with inter- national models, citizens are to be involved in the planning pro- cess for large-scale projects […] even before commencement of the land allocation';… 'In order to ensure compatibility with the transport situation, the share of private car traffic must not ex- ceed a maximum of 25% of the overall volume engendered by a high-rise project'…" He breaks off with a shrug. "You can see the difference in approach. This is a masterplan. Vienna has one of the most ef- ficient public mass-transport systems in Europe. Even so, they still designated an area for high- rise only on one side of the Dan- ube, at a distance from the his- torical centre…" Giving an example from the op- posite angle, Dr Thake turns to another European town which went about things the clean op- posite way. "On my Facebook wall I posted a picture of Beni- dorm. Is this the direction we are heading? From a small fish- ing village on the coast of Spain, Benidorm has been transformed, via a series of mismatching high- rise towers, into one of the ugli- est places on earth. So ugly, that you just want to leave…" From this perspective, the deci- sion to emulate the worse of the two approaches can only be de- scribed as problematic. "The very idea that the prime minister would say 'we don't need a masterplan' stupefies me. You cannot not have a master- plan for something which is go- ing to have such an impact. A masterplan provides a structure, a framework, within which to op- erate. Meanwhile, another thing we seem to be forgetting is that we don't have the know-how for any of this. All the expertise, even at construction stage, will have to be imported… as will the materials. Are we talking about steel and glass, or concrete? Ei- ther way, we don't have the nec- essary materials, because we've never tried our hand at anything like this before…" If I might add another, seem- ingly overlooked consideration: what about the impact of long construction projects on the quality of life of nearby residents? Sliema, for instance, has already endured an almost endless se- ries of inconveniences due to construction works: dust, noise, roads blocked due to cranes, etc. When approving the Towns- quare project, the PA estimated that construction works would last 54 months… that's roughly four years. Considering that Por- tomaso, which is just over half the height, took much longer… isn't this at best a conservative estimate? "It is certainly optimistic. Four years, as a rule, means six. It's go- ing to be hell for the residents, no doubt about that. I also think we have a situation where the level of infrastructure is nowhere near what is necessitated by these high-rise buildings. We have to plug them into an efficient public transport service…" Again, this highlights an is- sue that has long been pointed out. When originally drafting a 'tall buildings' policy (which was eventually shelved by the for- mer Nationalist administration, and resurrected under Labour) MEPA hired a foreign consultant from Chicago. His recommenda- tions were never made public, but the consultant was quoted as saying that high-rise should not even be considered without a mass public transport system already in place. Nor is this the only infrastruc- tural deficit. Among the issues the non-existent masterplan would certainly have addressed are those concerning health, safety and civil protection "Does the CPD have the neces- sary equipment and knowhow to deal with a fire on the 27th floor?" Will we just have to wait and see?" Dr Thake shakes his head. "Technically, it is going to be an extreme challenge. First of all, there are major environmen- tal issues, infrastructural and technical issues. Now: I am not saying, let's not do anything and just quit. I'm not saying that at all. But you cannot just ignore these challenges, and then face them when they crop up. Yet this, unfortunately, tends to be our national approach to most things. 'Imbaghad naraw'… we just improvise as we go along…" Apart from the obvious prob- lem with this haphazard, piece- meal approach, there is also an underlying economic concern. "Cass Gilbert was the architect of the Woolworth Building in New York: which, between 1913 and 1930, was the tallest building in the world [a record it ceded to the Empire State Building]. This is how he defined high-rise: 'A skyscraper is a machine that makes the land pay.' It's a way of generating revenue that is self- perpetuating: you could almost compare it to a nuclear reactor. From a very concentrated use of land, you can generate so much revenue. And OK: an economist might argue that that's a good thing. What I'm trying to say is: we are facing high-rise in Mrie- hel and Sliema; later it will be St Julian's. Where is the buck going to stop? I don't want to use the expression 'fools rush in where angels fear to tread'… but you cannot just rush headlong into the storm, and then improvise when problems arise."