Royal Opera House in Malta – Inverted Spiralift Application

The Republic of Malta, one of the smallest country in Europe, has a long musical heritage. Its cultural centre was from 1866 the Royal Opera House, a landmark building designed by English architect Edward Middleton Barry, who was also responsible for Covent Garden Theatre and the National Gallery. After an aerial attack in 1942, the Royal Opera House was destroyed and left in miserable ruins for years, until it was recently restored by renowned architect Renzo Piano. Part of an ambitious project to redevelop Valletta, Malta’s capital city, the Pjazza Teatru Rjal was designed within the remains of the former Opera House to become a performance centre by night and a public piazza by day. Successfully converting this historical neoclassical site into a modern, open-air theatre of an appropriate stature was a delicate process, made even more challenging considering its location in a flood-prone area.

To mitigate any potential negative effects inherent to the situation, under-stage equipment particularly at risk from flooding had to be effectively protected from damage.

Malta understage views

The project contractor and integrator, Tecnologie Industriali – an Italian-based company expert in the development, construction and installation of stage technology and automatic systems for multi-purpose room management – addressed the issue using for the first time in Europe Gala’s inverted Spiralift units. In a near 1000-seat auditorium – requiring a variety of configurations for opera, dance, theatre and concerts – two orchestra lifts were installed with all their mechanical and electric components anchored underneath the platform, as opposed to the bottom of the pit. By doing so, it was possible to minimize the risk of the components being submerged in a water-filled pit and suffering damage.

Now one of the most sought-after open-air theatres the Pjazza Teatru Rjal is carrying on the country’s musical tradition remarkably, while also offering a space that is beautifully integrated into the old Opera House’s ruins for everyone to enjoy!