The old opera house site will be converted into an open-air theatre that will incorporate the bombed ruins according to plans by Italian architect Renzo Piano to be unveiled this week.
The plans envisage a 1,200-seat roofless theatre, built around the ruins and other remains stored elsewhere over the years. It will all be enhanced with state-of-the-art technology that will give the place the scenographic and acoustic properties expected from a contemporary theatre.
"We keep the soul of the opera house," he says in an interview published today ahead of the official unveiling of his plans on Saturday. "So we don't steal that noble function that is cultural... The only thing is that this is not going to be in a building with a roof... I think this is going to be one of the most magic places in the Mediterranean..."
The world-renown architect was the one to persuade the government not to construct a new Parliament building on the old opera house site.
"I think it would have been a big mistake not to have it (a theatre) there," he says, pointing out that, besides being a shame not to reserve the old theatre exclusively for culture, the site would have been too small for a new Parliament.
Instead, the new Parliament will be on Freedom Square. The first floor of the planned building will appear to "fly" over the ground floor, which will have an element of transparency, to reveal St James Cavalier and a garden being planned there.
"We don't want to make a monumental Parliament... this is not the spirit. It's about welcoming people; about having spaces that are not hermetic, inaccessible. We want people to get into Valletta and feel how open and transparent Parliament is, especially on the ground floor."
The details on City Gate are more sketchy but Mr Piano speaks of a garden in St James Ditch that will give access to the city through a new lift.
The bridge leading to City Gate will likely be reduced to the original size in order to give a better sense of entering a fortified city. In the ditch, Mr Piano is planning a garden, which he hopes will turn out to be a special attraction.
Speaking during an interview on Radio 101 yesterday, the Prime Minister said the City Gate finalised plans should be acceptable to everyone, although compromises had to be made. Even he had to compromise on certain aspects but he was "very happy" with at least 80 per cent of the final proposal.
"This is decision time. It is not the time for more discussions. We've been discussing this for at least 20 years. My aim is to ensure that what should have been done in these past 60 years will finally happen now and Valletta will be given the dignity it deserves," he said.
Excerpts of the interview can be seen above. Extensive parts of it will be uploaded in the evening. The full interview can be found in The Times.
See also:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090622/local/a-magic-city-in-a-magic-island
mmicallef@timesofmalta.com