Sunday, 28th June 2009 - 15:14CET
Valletta projects
Din l-Art Helwa supports concept, has reservations on Parliament height
Renzo Piano's designs for the Valletta's Freedom Square, City Gate and the Opera House site have found the support of heritage group Din l-Art Helwa, which, however, expressed reservations on the proposed height of the Parliament buildings.
"With the entrance to Valletta still in a deplorable state and after more than 60 years of discussion, it is time to move forward," the organisation said adding that these key spaces should start to be enhanced without delay.
"The initial designs show sensitivity to the symbolic ideal that will be retained with the preservation of cultural space within the Opera House ruins. It is also in consonance with Valletta’s fortified status," it said.
Din l-Art Helwa expressed reservations on the height of the proposed Parliament buildings in Freedom Square, as they appeared to intrude upon the vision of the city from outside its walls.
It also said it would like to see the government commission a holistic design for the whole of the entrance to the city, fundamentally the area opposite Freedom Square stretching up to St. John’s Cavalier as well as the Bus Terminus area outside City Gate.
"Only in this way can the whole project be viewed in any future context."
It said that Valletta had much to gain from this project and it looked forward to its early implementation.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090627/local/revealed-the-new-face-of-valletta
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090627/local/the-new-city-gate-and-parliament
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090622/local/renzo-piano-interviewed
The designs are available at:
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Comments
Carmel Attard Engadine Sydney Belti twelid u Belti 'mmut!
Din L-Art Helwa; please do your work, and at the very least consult Unesco about the matter, since it is a well known fact that ever single stone in the wall is protected, and _cannot_ be removed.
'Park my car at freedom square
wash my taxi under the city gate
cannot display my for sale stuff.
drive from the Central Bank to Hastings garden
I would prefer to have a sort of Constantine Gate like the one in Rome full of sculptur, mouldings in all shapes and forms, balavostri going up and down, A huge pedestal with la Valette standing on it .
An open air theatre may be a proposal in a less of a hustle and bustle place!
When I visited Stamford Bridge to watch Chelsea play Everton some years back it was pelting but I didn't get wet.
Don't be ridiculous!
This project is a no go project.
Has to be re thought or scrapped alltogether and goodbye Piano.
WE must have some Maltese Architects who are more sensitive than Mr EGO Piano.
A wall with a breach! What a mad idea!
DR.Gonzi you are losing all the credibilty that you had some 15 months ago!
Carry on with this farce.
Jekk tmur tas-Sliema, Paceville ecc tara l-ezempji tal-arkitettute tas-seklu 21. Kaxxi tal-konkos daqs tas-sulfarini li qerdu l-ambjent Malti.
A Callus
Don't be a Humpty Dumpty Callus
Good for you Ms Abela.I'm pleased to see that you have had some experience of inclement weather,all the better to enable you to enjoy many more sodden days in the future.
I would say' put a roof on it' but a better more earthy expression which you'll forgive would be 'put a sock in it',
With the road above city gate gone what about traffic circulation in Valletta ? Would traffic cross Republic street at some point? What about the hundreds of parking spaces(Freedom square, the ditch, above city gate) lost? Would our parlamentarians be using the park and ride to attend Parlament? and carnival ? A flawed solutions is no solution at all. Only a massive rethink of the whole project is an option.Having wastedr over 60 years there's no problem wasting a few more. Remember the old Maltese proverb...il-qattusa ghagelija qtattes ghomja taghmel.
A.Eric Camilleri
Din l-art helwa ukoll qed tilqa dan il-progett.
Nahseb dawn huma l-esperti li rridu noqghodu fuqhom u mhux xi nofs tuzzana li dejjem kontra kollox li jsir mill-gvern.
At least the architect has kept in mind the big-headed people of this country and left enough head space for all those who think they know it all when walking into the city!
Valletta is on the way to once again being the most important city in the Mediterranean; it was intended to be and will carry on being so with the hands of the greatest architect of our time.
Maybe you didn't but others may.
Its idiotic to have a theatre without a roof since there is so much weather variations.
Perhaps Piano was aware of the dire situation of the country's financial situation and concluded that we cannot afford a roof.
"The initial designs show sensitivity to the symbolic ideal that will be retained with the preservation of cultural space within the Opera House ruins. It is also in consonance with Valletta’s fortified status" Can they explain how they reach such a conclusion?
A "symbolic ideal" re the preservation of cultural space within the Opera House ruins. Is literally just a "space" and an open one at that!!
As for "consonance with Valletta’s fortified status" are they referring to Parliament on stilts or to the entrance that looks like a stand at the old trade fair.
Din l-Art Helwa u sa tkun aktar helwa jekk thallu dan il-progett isir!!