The brilliant plan by Andreev
was submitted to the authorities
for approval when most of the
online poll respondents were in
favor of its construction. Andreev
elaborated to an interviewer
“According to an online poll
being conducted by Malta
Today, 68% responded in favor
the Heart of Malta Project,” He
further added, “For us, the fact
that response is a true sign of the
project’s value.”
Andreev simply wanted to add
beauty to the island of Malta
and believed, “The objective is
to create a center of attraction
in Dwejra, a new asset to
draw tourists, this time to a
new architectural and cultural
landmark,” He further stated, “We
are confident that this project
represents an outstanding
investment for the future of Malta
and Gozo.”
When interviewers questioned
about the sustainability of the
project design, Andreev stated
“I love Malta very much, and I
understand that nature is one of
the archipelago’s most
important treasures.
For this reason, we
have designed a
construction that
will evenly distribute
its mass along the
cliffside.”
He then elaborated on
the procedures used
in the architectural
process, where he
plans to incorporate
the ready-made
structure onto a stable
platform below the
clifffor a stronger base.
His team believes that
the metallic structure
would safeguard the
construction from
fire, corrosion and
distortion, saving
it from any other
environment disrupt.
Andreev further elucidated
about the proposed project,
determining his motivation,
“I have been to Gozo many
times since my first visit in 2008,
and have naturally seen and
photographed the Azure Window
in various states before its
collapse. The sight of the empty
Dwejra Bay inspired us to create
a monument that would do more
than simply copy the natural relief
of the Azure Window, but would
rather serve as a memorial to it.”
The collapse of the popular arch,
back in the year 2017 left almost
everyone heart wrenched. In fact
the Maltese Prime Minister Joseph
Muscat described the unfortunate
incident as “heartbreaking”. To
quote his tweet, “The site from
where one could admire it-Tieqa
tad-Dwejra. Heartbreaking,”
Another Malta’s Prime Minister
Joseph Muscat tweet elaborated
“Reports commissioned over the
years indicated that this landmark
would be hard hit by unavoidable
natural corrosion. That sad day
arrived.”
With several grievers, there is one
group that is happy i.e. divers.
Moreover, there have been
multiple images taken by the
divers that determine massive
chunks of rocks, sharp-edged,
cracked and strewn stones across
the floor of the Mediterranean,
where marine life taking over.
However, several holidaymakers
have left one star rating of the
arch on TripAdvisor. One of the
scuba divers Brendan O’Brien said
“It’s a loss to those who live above
the surface, but for those who
dive it’s one of the best things
that has happened to Gozo,”
He further stated that the site is
now more attractive for the divers
than before. With Azure Window’s
collapse, there is another
beneficiary i.e. Gozo’s other arch
- Wied il-Mielah Window – which
several TripAdvisors give full ratings
mentioning it “more impressive”.
Those who have been mourning
over the fall of Azure Window can
now enjoy the reality of natural
coastal landscape with the
redesigned island of Malta.
July 2020
Polo De’Marco