Renzo Piano unveils his plans today

jcmicallef

Jun 27th 2009, 20:10

Perhaps we may now know what will happen to:

- The shops situated at Valletta's entrance
- The housing around Valletta's entrance

will these remain, or will these be taken away to be given to the usual lucky few?

@ T Formosa - were local architects given a chance?

Ian Galea

Jun 27th 2009, 19:26

Give the guy a chance, the plans haven't even been unveiled yet and you are shooting down one of the greatest architects of all time. I, for one, am proud that Valletta will be mentioned when Renzo Piano's works are listed in the future!

TONY FORMOSA

Jun 27th 2009, 18:37

* AS FROM TONIGHT MALTA WILL BE FLOODED BY HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF ARCHITECTS WHO MAY TRY TO EXPOSE RENZO PIANO'S LIMITATIONS AND HAIL THEIR OWN WISDOM. THIS IS VERY TYPICAL AND CERTAINLY ANTICIPATED.

EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO HIS/HER OPINION AND RIGHTLY SO BUT LET's HAVE CLEAR CONSTRUCTIVE CRIT.

THE GHASTLY ENTRANCE AND THE HIDEOUS FLATS CERTAINLY DO NOT MATCH WITH THE HISTORIC CITY OF CULTURE.

HOPEFULLY AFTER SIXTY YEARS WE ARE GOING TO HAVE PLANS AS SUGGESTED BY A WORLD FAMOUS PERSON. OBVIOUSLY NOT EVERYONE WILL APPROVE THE MAESTRO'S IDEAS: BUT SHOULD WE CONTINUE DISCUSSING FOR THE NEXT
SIX DECADES?

MALTA AND VALLETTA DESERVE THE BEST.

TONY FORMOSA
TONY FORMOSA

Joseph V. Grech

Jun 27th 2009, 18:21

World-renowned Architect Renzo Piano certainly looks like - and sounds like - a very nice and genial man. I am sure that he is. He must certainly know in his heart of hearts that Valletta, which he admires so much, REALLY deserves a roofed theatre building. But I believe he might have been shackled in the sense that his brief required that there should be BOTH a theatre (of sorts) AND a parliamentary building. Had the latter not been required (at least in the immediate area) Mr. Piano would probably have had the required site dimensions to build a bigger, grander, more practical, roofed theatre. Now THAT would probably have been something!
Under the circumstances Piano's genius could do no better than what he did - planning both the Parliament AND the open-air theatre (which in my humble opinion will demean Valletta seeing that our capital city will be the only European capital city with an open air theatre that will be used only in fine weather).
The P.M. is reported to be 80% happy with the plans. What I personally believe is that requiring both a theatre AND a parliament on such a limited site certainly makes NO SENSE!

Josephine Cassar

Jun 27th 2009, 17:28

It is a good thing that the entrance to Valletta as well as the ruins of the Opera House are rebuilt though I hope not like what happened to mater Dei, dragging on and on and becoming costlier-how much money went into certain people`s pocket(not the usual contractors or architects, esp those who only declare profits of 20,000euro) but to give a lavish reception to MPs and Opposition when the deficit is growing by leaps and bounds is definitely NOT on as we are the ones to pay for it amidst this growing taxation and rising costs

c. camilleri

Jun 27th 2009, 17:19

To all whiners and whingers i tell them for once stop your moaning and thank heaven that after 60 yrs someone decided to replace the ugliness of our City Gate with new plans from the world renowned architect Renzo Piano.

L Bonnici

Jun 27th 2009, 16:50

I don't know why people are still so concerned.... We cannot have anything worse that what we already have! Let's just be glad we're getting rid of that parking lot, decaying ruins and an empty garage (built to allow carnival floats to pass through) that have characterised the entrance to valletta these past 40 years!!

Anthony Magri

Jun 27th 2009, 15:39

Parliament is not a subject to abuse our parliamentarians such as is doing a certain Charles Ebejer. What have parliamentarians to do with the building itself. On the contrary give them adequate space where they can be of service to constituents and don't denigrate any one of them for representing the citizens.
The choice of members of parliament is the prerogative of each and every single citizen, As every country has the government it deserves so also citizens have the representatives they deserve.

Alexander G Farrugia

Jun 27th 2009, 14:58

Yes, the Barry design was beautiful...but it was an expression of the time! In choosing a neo-classical style for the opera house, he simply designed in the style that was fashionable at the time. I believe that it was its peculiarity (a collonnaded facade when none existed in Valletta) which in the end made it so fitting. Barry did not go with a Baroque or Mannerist building, which characterise the original Valetta. He chose a contemporaty design. Full-stop.
The neo-classical style was followed by the Art Nouveau, and Art Deco. Unfortunately, these architectual influences did not get a grip in Malta (Balluta Buildings and the Suq tal-Belt are the only examples which spring to mind). Indeed, I always found it quite odd that we were still building high baroque churches up to the 1960's. No wonder we are so anti-modern!

g. scerri

Jun 27th 2009, 14:26

Parliament and an Opera House of sorts on one side, both designed by Renzo Piano, and hideous flats on the other. How's that for balance?

Chris Ebejer

Jun 27th 2009, 12:45

Much has been said that the theatre does not compliment and compare favorably with Valletta's architecture so now should Piano's flying parliament does?!

At the very end Piano gave us a huge HOPE that some day we will make justice with Barry's plans and we hope that someday his masterpiece will grace again the entrance of our Capital in its full Glory!

Chris Ebejer

Jun 27th 2009, 12:44

I whole heartedly disagree and cannot applaud the idea of a parliament at the entrance of a Noble city, and the Royal Opera House proposed by this architect to remain as a bomb site memorial. I shall never and cannot express the approval and appreciation for this project as for me; this is a sin against our culture and an insult to Valletta.

Arch. Piano cannot see the bigger picture. He is an architect of the commercial/ consumist era - He cannot perceive the Grandeur of Valletta’s Nobility.

A golden opportunity to demolish those brutal flats and instead to create a huge Piazza at the entrance of a Noble City will be lost for ever. Instead facing the bock of flats will grace us a parliament fit to house petty parochial politicians: L-Avukati -Tobba w il-Periti!

Piano said that rebuilding a fake image is not good for historians’
(Listen his Int. on TOM)
But Art should never be done for the sake of historians!

Jonathan Cini

Jun 27th 2009, 12:08

I agree completely with Mario Tabone Vassallo. Although we find many styles of architecture in Valletta, the Capital is, in its entirety, reminiscent of the Baroque and Renaissance era. I think that this style should have been used. With all due respect, I consider words such as 'magical' not more than fine rhetoric. We want a building complimentary to each other, not a huge kawlata of buildings. The Royal Theatre was built on the Neo-Classical style, and Barry tried to avoid distractions from styles. Those were the days of respect. My preference was that the new theatre would be built on the basis of a genuine baroque revival in the 21st century. But what now remains is the cheque, waiting the magical architect of all times.

Anthony Magri

Jun 27th 2009, 11:33

Enzo Piano has some 100 architects working for him. Who knows whether the plans that are to be uncovered are the work of one of these architects, Enzo Piano having given olny his idea to be developed and finally given his approval. Or perhaps asked his collaborators to come out with some original idea and he accepted it. Unerstudies that's their job.

v.pulis

Jun 27th 2009, 11:27

I am still hoping that valletta will have a real gate not a breach in its fortifications. Unlike the opera house which is a free standing structure and therefore the architect enjoys a certain ammount of artistic lee way, since the entrance forms an integral part of the bastion, piano is working to a brief and is not as free with his creativity. I believe that valletta needs a proper gate not some hole in the wall. This part of the project could have been tackled by a Maltese architect. One final note. Doesn't Francisco laparelli deserve some sort of monument in the city he designed?

marco meli

Jun 27th 2009, 11:07

WoW!!!!! BUT i think we need to adress our deficit first not pushing it further!!!!!!!! min jaf kemm thallas dan piano!!!

Peter Borg

Jun 27th 2009, 10:15

Surprise me

Mario Tabone-Vassallo

Jun 27th 2009, 09:42

Jekk il-pjani ta’ Piano, ahfruli l-alliterazzjoni ridikola, huma tajbin, ma jinhtiegux l-ahhar paragrafi ta’ elogji. Jekk pjani tajbin, jidhru hekk wahedhom, bla lbies iehor. Li zgur hu li l-pjani li wera snin ilu kienu ‘perfetti’ u dawn ta’ issa wkoll ser ikunu ‘perfetti’; kuncett difficli meta huma differenti hafna. Smajna l-istess argumenti meta nbena l-Bieb il-Belt li hemm bhalissa. Nittama li talinqas Belt Barokka jkollha bieb Barokk kif jixirqilha. Kieku dejjem ghaddiet tal-modernisti, kieku m’ghandniex id-Dar tal-Mediterran [fost bini iehor], izda xi ‘gojjel’ tal-konkos.

Galea. L

Jun 27th 2009, 09:38

Let's hope that Piano being 71 edging on 72 he will present more mature plans to harmonize with the old buildings rather than his modern concepts seen in other cities.