It was surprising for me to learn that the University Professor and architect Alex Torpiano is involved through his firm, along with his partners, in the removal of the British barracks in Fort Chambray. Supposedly, the British barracks will have to be rebuilt in another location. TBA Periti, Alex Torpiano’s firm is also involved in the restoration of For Chambray’s walls.
Alex Torpiano is the Executive President of Din L-Art Ħelwa: an NGO which who opposeses the Fort Chambray project for changing the historical site into a luxury property site with hotels.
I called him to confirm this information and he did, but he threw me off as he tried to justify this by telling me that the project at Fort Chambray was not the architect’s fault and that the government should change the law.
I never told him that it was his fault that Fort Chambray is being handed over for free for developers, with some of its historic sites demolished as a consequence (dismantled and rebuilt, supposedly). He also said that he doesn’t have control over what his partners in his firm do.
In any case, the headline here is that the Executive Director of Din L-Art Ħelwa is involved in the dismantling of a historic site of a controversial project that has been opposed even by the NGO that he leads. It’s just one of those many stories that reflects the apathy, amorality and lack of spine of many professionals who accept to work on things that they don’t even agree with.
By the way, this individual is a University professor and still has time to run a firm along with running a voluntary organisation. Now he’s also involved in major projects that supposedly he opposes.
The old Maltese adage still remain the same: “Mhux kulħadd irid jiekol? Allura x’nagħmel ma nieħdux ix-xogħol?”
Website Editor
Historian and Publisher
Leave a Reply