Claudia Calleja
Water jets, wi-fi for Valletta square
Works to be completed by November
An artist's impression of the revamped St George's Square.
By winter, visitors to Valletta should be able to sit on a bench in St George's Square, access wi-fi through their laptop and type away to the sound of water jets.
The €1 million regeneration project at the square, located in front of the President's Palace, is due to start on June 8. Works are due to be completed by the end of November, Resources Minister George Pullicino said yesterday.
For years the square has been used as a car park. But after planning permission was granted last Thursday, the entire piazza will be paved and pedestrianised. The road that runs in front of the palace will also be integrated into the square that will be closed off with electronic bollards.
Old Theatre Street will be tiled in lava slabs and closed to traffic that will be diverted to Archbishop Street.
A cluster of 14 water jets will ensure the piazza retains the water element that was first introduced by the Knights of St John when they managed to transport water into the capital. The inbuilt jets will be a modern version of the original fountain that was built by the Knights and moved to St Philip's Garden in the 19th century.
During the night the multi-coloured jets will spray water at different heights creating a spectacular feature.
The square, also known as Palace Square, will provide an open space where families can let their children run around in Valletta. Benches will be placed on the perimeters and modern lighting structures will double as wi-fi transmitters.
In order to retain the square's historic function as a parade ground, fixtures will be removable. When a parade or concert takes place there, the fountain can be switched off and fixtures removed.
Given that the Sette Giugnio monument was "intrinsically linked" to Parliament, Mr Pullicino said, it would be relocated to the new Parliament site.
The horse-drawn cabs (karozzini) that currently have a shelter in the square will not be allowed into the pedestrian zone and attempts are being made to identify another location for them.
Restaurants in the area will continue to operate and will be able to place street furniture on the square.
The ministry was working towards setting aesthetic standards for street furniture in the capital to ensure there were no more branded umbrellas or tables, the minister said.
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Marlene Vella
May 11th 2009, 01:47
@ Dusty Williams Valletta is desperate for open spaces. I'm rather much more interested in enjoying a book in this lovely square without car fumes than parking my car over it. We're only getting older a bit of walking would do us all good : )
Anne Marie Kissaun
May 10th 2009, 22:21
Well, finally, some good news for our lovely City. However, in my opinion, the lights are too modern for such an old Square in an Old City and the fountain should be in line with the embience, nothing too modern. Therefore, once so much money is going into this project, we must make sure that the embellishing of St George's Square, with its historical background, will be respected. No benches please. The clearer we leave the square the better which hopefully helps to keep this prominent square as clean as possible and another important factor is that no tables are to appear from nowhere which seems to be a habit in Malta. I am looking forward to seeing the end product and am hoping that the embience of St George's Square within this Old City of ours will be respected.
J Galea
May 10th 2009, 21:43
The proposed changes to the square are most welcome and further changes like these are needed throughout our beautiful capital. As a parade ground it would be difficult to introduce too many trees. However, there seemingly being absolutely NO trees in the square as projected makes me think this will be a useless space during the long hot summer days. One should be able to introduce more trees, perhaps of a tall variety, on the perimeter and perhaps raise canvas canopies over other parts of the centre. This would make the place much more useful and just as aesthetically pleasing to Valletta residents and visitors alike.
Joachim Abela
May 10th 2009, 21:33
@ Vincent Magro ...............and by the way, what you're seeing in the foreground is actually the seating area. But of course you being more accustomed chairs to sit on, can hardly notice this.
Joachim Abela
May 10th 2009, 21:24
@Vincent Magro ''Hemm hafna spazju vojt li mhux utilizzat'' ?? are you one of those Maltese people who fill every corner of their houses with cheap knick knaks? This is called minimalist design! and by the way a piazza is supposed to be an open unobstructed space.
Eugenio Taliana
May 10th 2009, 19:30
It will be a matter of a few months from completion of this project that the whole piazza will be full of tables from the restaurants nearby.
Steven Bonello
May 10th 2009, 19:06
@Galea L
whatever the monument signifies (a dubious "heroic" moment of our history by the way) it is still aesthetically ugly. I could mention 3 or 4 other similar monuments of very dubious merit, aesthetically more at home in Soviet era U.S.S.R., but I won't as you might have me hounded off the Island :)
Roderick Peresso
May 10th 2009, 19:03
Prosit. I like the contemporary designs of this embellishment. They will positively contribute to the interesting mix of architectural styles of the square, built in different periods -- the austere facade of the palace (Girolamo Cassar's manarsim), the baroque porticos and balconies of the same palace added later on by the knights and the neo-classical facade built during the British rule. Moreover the designs have taken into account the needs of the city and the country. Good job to all involved so far.
dusty williams
May 10th 2009, 18:24
Sa Novembru??? hahhhh hozza fl-ilma.
Gejja xi elezzjoni jaqaw? Halluwha naqra parking, ghax intom tal parlament gmielkom tigu mwasslin sa quddiem il-bieb ta barra tal parlament u ahna nies komuni lanqas ser inkunu nistaw nidhlu sal belt u nipparkjaw il vettura taghna. . Progett bla bzonn.
Galea. L
May 10th 2009, 17:43
Steven Bonello
Shame on you fro criticizing a monument set up as remembrance for our fallen.
Shame and shame again on you.
vincent a galea
May 10th 2009, 16:22
The MODERNISATION of ST GEORGE SQ in the midst of our unique sixteenth century City is probably a prologue and to soften the impact of what is going to horribly and hoorrendously befall VALLETTA's entrance after it will be RAPED and RAVAGED by whatever awaits there..........
How will this attitude by those who should know better be ever explained to future generations?! I thought we had elected sensible and sensitive individuals to guard our uneqauled history!! Where are Heritage Malta, Din l-Art Helwa and the Planning Authority? Have they too lost their National pride? If so, to what.........?
SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!
Tabone J
May 10th 2009, 15:38
PROSIT, GREAT IDEA!!! . . . EXCEPT FOR ANY MODERN STRUCTURES which surely can never blend with those surroundings.
Fully agree with Galea L and Charles Sammut..
Steven Bonello
May 10th 2009, 14:57
It's actually a brilliant minimalist design which tends to bring out the best of the buildings in this prominent square. Best of all is the removal of the ugly, bombastic Sette Guigno monument hopefully to a much more obscure location.
Of course I am sceptic about a November completion - I'll believe it when (and if) I see it.
ps...surely the grey bin in the foreground is a joke?
Marlene Vella
May 10th 2009, 14:44
It's great news that the square will be pedestrianised. Not too sure about the coloured water jets, though these can surely be managed and adjusted. And yes keep branded furniture away and fixtures removable. This increases the multi purpose potential of the square.
vincent magro
May 10th 2009, 13:19
Jien mhinix perit u lanqas disinjatur tal-funtani, izda d-disinn propost jidher wiehed medjokri li la jahseb ghan-nies biex joqodu bilqieda biex jaraw l-ispettaklu tal-ilma mil-funtana, u lanqas jahseb ghal-ispettaklu ta l-ilma li wiehed ikun jista jara. Erba gettijiet itajru l-ilma l-fuq bil-bozza tal-kulur. Hemm hafna spazju vojt li mhux utilizzat.
Galea. L
May 10th 2009, 12:30
A real blasphemy of having modern structures and lighting in an old city built by gentlemen for gentlemen.
Anyone bet that this is one of Renzo Piano's plans?
How about the proposers visiting some European cities and see how the old sections are maintained in all their old aspects and outlooks?
Charles Sammut
May 10th 2009, 12:17
Why modern styled light fittings and multi-coloured water jets? Can't we have something more in harmony with the architecture of the buildings there? Minister Pullicino should visit Rome for some inspiration.
Edwin Mifsud
May 10th 2009, 11:26
"By winter..." LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!