Enhancing Valletta's magnificence

Listening to Renzo Piano speaking about Valletta is enchanting. The passion with which he chooses words like magic, noble and soul for our capital city reassures me what a perfect choice was made for this starchitect.

As a Belti myself, it was doubly pleasing to see a concrete commitment being made towards the regeneration of our capital city. This fresh push, I believe, will almost definitely prompt a social, economic and cultural revival in Valletta.

Enveloped in the aura of these mega projects, I am genuinely excited by the thought of all these ideas becoming a reality within the next four years. And I fully support the belief that these two projects should be treated within the holistic regeneration plan for Valletta and the Grand Harbour. This way, the capital city can truly maintain a delicate balance between being a central attraction for tourists while remaining a social, economic and cultural centre for the Maltese.

After much debate and discussions, the master himself shared his own views of moving Parliament to Freedom Square and converting the old opera house into an open-air theatre. This is something I totally agree with in all aspects.

Moving the House of Representatives to the entrance of Valletta, as well as linking it to a cultural hub, could serve a third and crucial end. By allowing the same building to become a centre for expression of the citizen, through individual and collective efforts (in the case of civil society, organisations and entities), Maltese democracy can truly take another leap forward. For what greater message can we give than by providing a platform for ideas and values at the entrance of our capital city, where such ideas emerge from the dreams of ordinary citizens and their representatives alike?

The spirit Mr Piano dictates, explaining how he wouldn't like Parliament to be monumental but welcoming, to reveal St James Cavalier, gardens, open spaces, giving new life to the ditch, is an overarching impressive factor. It is quite obvious that this is someone who is familiar with this site, taking us through it like he was born here himself.

Being my hometown, I have long emphasised the need for fruitful dialogue and awareness on the changes we need to spur in our unique city. Having said this, I have also pointed out that we desperately need to move from words to action.

City Gate shall now be transformed into a proper landmark rather than acting as a parking lot and doubling up as an open space housing haphazard kiosks. It will be a worthy entrance to the city built by gentlemen for gentlemen. However much we disagree with the choice of function of the old opera house site, we cannot disregard the fact that the government has taken a bold decision and placed strict time frames for implementation of the approved designs. This further proves that our government is four square behind the serious regeneration of my hometown and our capital, a capital city that should make us all proud. This is a decision that should be embraced by all Maltese citizens and I'm sure it will ultimately be a living advertisement for our island.

It is crucial that these projects form the basis of the holistic regeneration plan for Valletta and Grand Harbour. Even if they turn out to be the most spectacular pieces of architecture, they will function better if they are fully integrated within the regeneration plan of the whole of Valletta. This project will trigger the proper regeneration, from Fort St Elmo to City Gate at the other end. We will see the entrance of Valletta literally reborn.

I am convinced that with a starchitect like Mr Piano, Valletta's grandeur will be further enhanced as we would have seen the transformation of an eyesore to an iconic landmark inside an equally iconic city. The choice of Mr Piano was indeed a perfect one and I cannot conclude without believing in this phrase more than ever before: Chi va Piano, va lontano!

Mr Casa is a Nationalist member of the European Parliament.

david@davidcasa.eu, www.davidcasa.eu