Piano concepts communicated to government

Concepts and designs for the Valletta entrance project by Italian architect Renzo Piano were discussed by his partner Bernard Plattner and the government at Castille on Tuesday evening but no details have emerged so far.

Sources said ideas were discussed and developed but the exact siting of Parliament, which was moving out of the President's Palace, could not be identified at this stage.

It started off being the old opera house site - an idea that had stirred controversy in the public eye. But Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi later became more fluid about its location, saying the decision would be left in the hands of the renowned architect.

The Sunday Times then learnt that Mr Piano was opting for a versatile cultural and performance centre on the opera house site, positioning Parliament in Freedom Square next to it, a move that was more in keeping with the outcry for a more culture-oriented project in the ruins.

The original brief included turning the former opera house into a multi-purpose building that would host Parliament and also play a cultural role, as well as intervention on the square, City Gate, the bridge and the ditch.

In January, during Mr Piano's first visit to Malta since he was commissioned to carry out the €80 million project. Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt had said his scheme should be presented by April and the entire project completed within four years. The delegation from the Renzo Piano Building Workshop yesterday carried out site visits in the capital city, including the President's Palace, which was integrated in the project since Parliament was being pulled out of it and placed in Freedom Square.

For the architects, walking through the city's streets and getting a hands-on feel for it was as important as their work in the studio, the project going way beyond the actual stone and incorporating a philosophical aspect.

Excavations were recently carried out on the bridge leading to City Gate as part of research in connection with the redesign of the entrance. They were also carried out at four points in Freedom Square as part of the fact-finding exercise.