Tony Zammit Cutajar, Lija
An alternative site for Parliament?
This satellite view of Valletta clearly shows how well suited the area presently occupied by the Valletta market could be to accommodate a new parliament building.
• It is bounded by four streets (something not very common in Valletta) and therefore lends itself very well to an iconic detached building. I can visualise a glass cube -shaped building to contrast with the surrounding buildings and make a very bold statement about Malta's vision for the future. A miniature of the Pompidou Centre in Paris (incidentally also designed by Renzo Piano) if you like but without all or most of the appendages
• Parking for parliamentarians and their staff could be provided below ground level
• It is conveniently situated very close to the President's Palace and since Merchants Street has been pedestrianised, access from various government offices and the Prime Minister's Office at Castille would be very easy.
• On the negative side, this option would result in the Monti having to move but surely an acceptable alternative location can be found for the hawkers.
So how about it Mr Prime Minister? Lawrence Gonzi recently suggested that the decision about where to site Parliament was not cast in stone so perhaps he could pass this idea by Renzo Piano and see what he thinks about it.
According to what is appearing in the local press, it seems clear (at least to all those who want to see) that the majority would rather have the "old" opera house site rebuilt as an opera house or a theatre.
By choosing to have Parliament elsewhere in Valletta, the Prime Minister would be killing the proverbial two birds with one stone...
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A Borg
May 29th 2009, 18:42
- This is silly. A lot of people's livelihoods depend on is-suq... Find somewhere already abandonned.
- A seemingly perfect site would be at Fort St Elmo. Obvisouly, Parliament needs proper security measures and the Fort would provide these. Similarly, the Parliament would need prestige in terms of its position. Where better than the Sciberras penninsula for a modern, outward-looking Malta? The fort is otherwise disused and is being left to rot.
-The Gov proposes yet another "cultural centre" at Fort St Elmo. But what does that mean? The same was proposed for StJames Cavalier. How many so-called "CulturalCentres" will there be?! StJamesCavalier - might I add - is an absolute White Elephant: another sacrilege of valuable space. "Cultural centres" are just too wishy-washy, aiming to attract everyone, ultimately attracting no one.
lgalea
Feb 5th 2009, 22:02
monica muscat
Why should it always have to be a foreigner and not a Maltese person?
A glass cube?
This will be pure blasphemy.
And why should we build another parliament when so many good suggestions were made as to where it could be transferred?
monica muscat
Feb 5th 2009, 18:11
Let us have a new Parliament on the old Theatre site, but all means, but NO glass palaces please. But let us not put the cart before the horse! Let us see what Sig. Piano can offer us.
I do hope that some parking facility will be placed underground, at least for the official cars. But again, let us wait and see.
As for the Valletta Market! Shame on those who have brought/left it in the present condition for soo long! No wonder that so many of the stalls are closing down. They are losing potential buyers because of a non-functioning escalator! Shame again.
Mike O'Hara
Feb 5th 2009, 16:22
The nature of the Market building should make dismantling and reconstruction elsewhere quite feasible. Crystal Palace was originally built in Hyde Park, before being moved to South London.
This sounds a sensible idea, though the concept of a "Glass Cube" in this location does not.
Joe Cassar
Feb 5th 2009, 13:38
Apart frm the fact that the Market - "the second glass and steel structure in Europe after Crystal Palace" is itself a historical building well worthy of preservation, the thought of a "glass cube" in the middle of Valletta makes me shudder
wally vella-zarb
Feb 5th 2009, 13:26
As a site, yes, it is as close to being ideal as one could wish for.
Unfortunately, the Valletta Market is one of the few of our buildings, possibly the only one, where we can still admire the use of structural cast iron. A look upwards, at the inside of the roof, reveals the beauty of the cast iron modular segments that are included in the supporting structure.
A.J. Anastasi
Feb 5th 2009, 12:14
It makes sense; I would say real sense!
AJA.