The Planning Authority has granted Joseph Portelli permission to erect a massive brick in the centre of Victoria, Gozo.
The PA’s board members unanimously approved the 20-storey block, which will be made out of a single slab of globigerina limestone, and which will dwarf the nearby iconic Cittadella.
Justifying its decision, the board said the project was a one-of-a-kind structure that would attract tourists to Malta, and was in keeping with the style of nearby buildings.
“The board also dismisses objections by NGOs that state the project is dangerous due to the fact it teeters perilously over the edge of one of the Cittadella’s bastions and risks toppling over into the road below. The applicant has reassured us that should this happen, he would not face any consequences and therefore this would not look bad on us.”
Gozitan developer Portelli, who designed the project himself, told Bis-Serjetà he did not intend for the block to have a function, either practical or aesthetic.
“The only reason I proposed The Brick was to see what I could get away with, so I came up with the most ridiculous thing I could think of. I didn’t even put any pressure on the PA board. It turns out I haven’t been brazen enough. From now on I’ll be proposing much more ambitious projects, like a theme park on Comino. Watch this space, until I fill it with concrete at least,” he said.
Quarrying the massive block of limestone will require the destruction of the entire town of Siggiewi.
