Renzo Piano associates on familiarisation trip
Associates in architect Renzo Piano’s studios will be in Malta in the coming days on a preliminary familiarisation trip, the Infrastructure Ministry said.
The Italian architect is to draw up plans for the rebuilding of City Gate and the site occupied by the Opera House ruins.
The ministry denied a newspaper report that City Gate plans will be unveiled this week, saying there will not be any official or unofficial presentation of plans any time in the next several weeks.
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Andrew Vinci
Dec 20th 2008, 15:38
@charles sammut : Valletta was not built in one day - if you delved a bit deeper through the layers of what you now recognise as Valletta you will find layers of Baroque, Neo-Classical, Modernism which did not all respect these parameters you talk about but still unify.
The Opera House for starters was a Neo-Classical building built by the British to satisfy a need at the time which is debatable whether it is relevant now in 2008, so why do we feel obliged to rebuild the past?
I have faith in Renzo Piano's ability to come up with a contemporary design that will both be sensitive to our capital city and form part of the layers that build it up that will be admired by generations to come.
J Farrugia
Dec 20th 2008, 12:17
WHAT'S THIS THAT THESE ELVES HAVE GOT AGAINST RENZO PIANO ONE OF THE FAMOUS ARCHITECTS IN THE WORLD? Competitions have been held. But the people still did not agree on what they want? The designs were shown to one and all. But yet again the people did not agree. So what's to be done? Leave the site as it is... a monument to the cress ignorance of all the Maltese People. Yes Mr Government please leave the site as it is, That's the monument we citizens of Malta deserve. Or else... do as you are doing. Give this site to this grand architect and let the people eat cake.
Joseph Zahra
Dec 20th 2008, 11:32
Haven't we already paid Richard England and Piano for the plans? why do we need to do so again?
We have good Architects in Malta that have made a name around the world.
Is the chamber of architects asleep!!!
edward bartolo
Dec 20th 2008, 08:46
An architect with a futuristic style is inappropriate for the city gate and the opera house projects. Valletta is an old city, its characteristics must be respected, otherwise we will end with another huge eyesore.
I totally agree that we can recreate what we lost during Word War II. Let us invest our money wisely.
Charles Sammut
Dec 20th 2008, 08:34
Renzo Piano might be considered to be the greatest living architect in the world (although that depends on what you consider to be great) but his style does not fit in a baroque city built to very strict rules and design parameters 500 years ago.
So being the grestest does no automatically qualify him as the most appropriate.
As for the Chamber of Architects, what have its members contributed to the island's architecture besides hideous concrete blocks? They are the least qualified to pontificate.
But then what would you expect from years of neglect in the cultural field? A utilitarian socialist mentality. Flats and shops!
Arthur Ellul
Dec 20th 2008, 08:20
Please friends, as from the times of the knights, Valletta was always embellished by the best architects and engineers, the various Mondion, Laparelli, Buonamici all left their mark in Our World Heritage city, so let us continue with giving our gem on architecture another master architect, so that the this project will also be a success.
Valletta was designed as a walled city, and must remain a "Citta Murata" Renzo Piano, please take note.
pat camilleri
Dec 20th 2008, 07:09
We have some excellent architects on this island.We should not hand over this important project to a foreigner.The majority want the old gate back. That should never have been destroyed.
E Grima
Dec 19th 2008, 12:22
C'mon you people stop arguing and let's have that monstrosity at the most popular entry to Valletta rebuilt and embellished once and for all and without delay. Fiddling around with bits and pieces just won't do. Let's have an entry into Valletta worthy of a great city that Malta's capital certainly is
Joe Cassar
Dec 19th 2008, 10:15
Mr Vassallo has got things back to front. It is the Government who has an obligation to “cooperate” by finding out what the people want and proceed accordingly.
And there is no doubt that the vast majority of the people do not want some futuristic Piano design for Bieb il-Belt – they want the old gate back and an opera house that is, externally at least, like the one destroyed during the war.
Bieb il-Belt doe not belong to the government. Neither does it belong to the Chamber of Architects. It belongs to the people and they are the ones who will be paying for its restoration.
They should decide what they want.
Andrew Cassar
Dec 19th 2008, 10:00
The answer to many of you questioning why was Renzo Piano picked is simple....because he is one of the (if not ...the) greatest living architects! There's only one way to have a masterpiece.....commission the best. If the knights had commissioned someone else instead of Carravagio for their paintings we would not have any masterpieces. Now, regarding the money, how it should be spent etc etc all this is open to debate.
Joe Galea
Dec 19th 2008, 08:43
Another project destined to cost at least 3x as much as planned. The Maltese tax payer will be taxed more by the GonziGattPN government's to pay for the inefficiency of projecting costs of national projects: the greatest example being MATER DEJN. It seems that Renzo Piano & Co. will be paid substantially. Also in times of an impending and accentuated further (by this government) economic recession which is already affecting us due to the global recession and due to the governments bright decisions, I don't think that this project should be on the top agenda.
apgrech
Dec 18th 2008, 18:27
The Opera House should be built on the original design, at least, on the exterior. It used to be an architectural masterpiece. It will be very foolish to build it differently and ask the Prime Minister and whoever is involved to think about it seriously.
Future generations will condemn any other design that anyone would come up with. Don't commit an unfixable mistake. We had a gem and you could re create the gem.
martin portelli
Dec 18th 2008, 16:15
Will they be meeting building contractors and the potential workforce ? Would be interesting to know if Piano Studios have complete control over the project. Taxpayers hope it doesn't turn into another Mater Dei farce.
A. Vassallo
Dec 18th 2008, 14:23
Why must we always be so pessimistic? This time round, EVERYONE MUST cooperate with the Government so that we can finally rebuilt and upgrade both City Gate and the terrible eyesore of the opera house ruins. This is the ripe time and if we do not do it now, it will stay as it is for another 100 years.
@JOE BORG
This has nothing to do with hand picking or direct orders. You should have read the press release issued by the Chamber of Architects. They did not complain. On the contrary, they welcomed both Renzo Piano and the development itself. This does not mean that the Maltese are not up to standard. Here we are talking about the best architect in the world today.
@ Edwin Mifsud
We all should judge the present government by what it does and not just by what it says. Many lessons have been learnt. This project will be finished in time by the end of 2012. We will be having the general elections some time in 2003
lgalea
Dec 18th 2008, 14:04
Can Gonzipn be so lackey to foreigners as to handpick a foreign architect and not open a competition for Maltese architects?
No surprise on this as the Gonzipn party has long been known for its submissiveness and lackeyism for foreigners.
How can Gonzipn award a contract worth millions by direct order and not call for an expression of interest with a transparent public award for the bidders and the general public?
SHAME on YOU Gonzipn.
SHAME and SHAME AGAIN
D Delia
Dec 18th 2008, 13:22
That was quick. It certaily seems that this Renzo Piano does not want to loose this job!!!!
JOE BORG
Dec 18th 2008, 13:05
How come Renzo Piano has been hand picked and apparently awarded a direct order, without any call from interested parties????
And isn't there any Maltese architect who is capable of drawing the plans for this project????
Edwin Mifsud
Dec 18th 2008, 13:04
I am no accountant or architect but judging from past experiences such as the Mater Dei hospital, the Manuel Dimech Bridge, the Hagar Qim tent and so on I’m pretty sure that whatever the estimated cost predicted we will need to triple and whatever the completion date given we will have to wait three times as long.
The reason given will be that there where technical difficulties that our architects and engineers could not predict.
All this assuming that the project starts off.