Bernard Vassallo, Swieqi
Renzo Piano's plans are a flop
Our government has been impressed by names of international standing. This was why world-renowned architect Renzo Piano was selected to draw up plans for Valletta's City Gate, new Parliament building and Opera House; also because of previous commitments involving the government. The result is a disappointment, for which taxpayers are paying dearly.
I am afraid that Mr Piano has come up with a flop, an engineering and architectural style that does not make sense. City Gate will have a Babylonian entrance, according to his plans, with a gap in the bastions, something Grand Master Jean Parisot de la Valette would view with horror.
The street above City Gate is going to be eliminated, making access into Valletta much more difficult, and exacerbating parking problems in the city, unless a new visually nonsensical bridge were to be inserted in Mr Piano's outlandish plan. What about the city's residents and their requirements, which the present Pope Pius V Street is meeting to some extent?
Parliament on stilts? To afford a better view of St James Cavalier, Mr Piano claims. Valletta requires solid buildings, not flimsy ones. And a Parliament building at Valletta's entrance is controversial, since problems could arise during political demonstrations.
Who will be responsible for security? The site chosen does not guarantee this in the least. Mr Piano's envisaged Parliament building has a modern touch, which is not in keeping with Valletta's style.
During the last war the Opera House was heavily damaged, then the Borg Olivier government set about dismantling what was left, making rebuilding more problematic. And no one, or no government, has - quite rightly - the gall to replace the destroyed Opera House with a much more prosaic building. So why not rebuild and restore it? A new Opera House would function at least as well as Barry's 1866 original.
Its acoustics could be improved with modern techniques. Its supposedly insufficient room for props and backstage could, with some intelligent planning, be similarly improved and readapted.
These are not excuses for not rebuilding Barry's original building, which served Malta well for 75 years as the hub of our cultural scene.
Tourists and, especially, we Maltese would be able to attend similar performances, were it to be rebuilt as close to the original as possible.
Let us strongly encourage the arts and especially good music. Performances of opera and orchestral music are needed to promote this. So is a permanent roof for our philharmonic orchestra.
Yes, Mr Piano's plans for City Gate, Parliament and the partly roofed Opera House site are a big flop. And our government is committing a big blunder in going ahead with them.
George Borg Olivier was about to lay the foundation stone of the restored Opera House in 1971 (there is evidence to back this claim) - typically too late, as Labour leader Dom Mintoff had won that year's election and he stopped the rebuilding of the Opera House in its tracks.
The Opera House saga appears to be unending, since we won't restore the decent majestic building which we had before 1942, and cannot build anything else that is acceptable instead.Mr Piano's half-roofed theatre is a meaningless fiasco.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi should listen to the people's voice.
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Peter Aquilina
Apr 12th 2010, 08:13
Well said Mr Bernard Vassallo !
monica vella
Apr 11th 2010, 15:47
The people wanted a say in what was to be built in Valletta. Our elected prime minister decided to ignore the wishes of the majority for a referendum.I shall , thus, act accordingly when the time comes to vote.
J Martinelli
Apr 11th 2010, 15:07
@ Bernard Vassallo
"...Grand Master Jean Parisot de la Valette would view with horror"
There is a distinct possibility that if LaValette was still living today, he would have a much more open mind. Parking his car at the Floriana car park and walking majestically to the City he built, would have been a pleasurable experience.
Gerard Cassar
Apr 11th 2010, 14:50
Those who do not agree that on one side of the entrance to Valletta is built up should remember that before it was destroyed both sides of the entrance to Valletta were built up.
And the best place for a Parliament building is in the centre of the city with a well thought square in front of it: The site of the Main Guard is the natural place. The 7 Gunju monument would hve remained in place.
Had Gonzi and Gatt indicated that site surely Architect Piano would have been more than delighted to develope it.. Gonzi should have let Enzo Piano to chose himself the site and not to impose one on him
Lawrence Fenech
Apr 11th 2010, 13:42
The PN have always placed the foreigner first. Mintoff gave Malta bit by bit back to the Maltese and PN gave it back to Europe. Renzo Piano is a perfect example.
John Azzopardi
Apr 11th 2010, 13:32
I am still surprised that il Kamra tal Periti did not protest more loudly. Maltese/gozitan architects should have been partners with Piano. Period. Unless our they and/or our government feel that they are inferior and not good enough. A project of this magnitude on Maltese soil for the maltese and all we hear is Piano. Shame
Graham Crocker
Apr 11th 2010, 13:08
You lot can't even agree amongst yourselves.
One wants a reconstruction, the other wants a closed theatre another wants a cultural centre, somebody else wants a new opera house, another wants to leave it as it is...
We could spend 60 more years debating on who wants what or whatever, but ultimately it wouldn't make a difference and tbh no serious government is going to take people who don't know what they want seriously.
Rather than leaving it as it is, because some people get too excited when these things happen, we need a leader who can take decisions which benefit all. If you didn't get what you want, its a democracy you can either stand for election or vote someone else to spite the current government for not listening to you.
As Mintoff said, building an opera house that is not big enough to house current productions is stupid. The problem here is people don't want opera productions, but something to boast about.
An open air theatre is better than bombed remains, no gate is better than the gate we currently have and a parliament on stilts is better than parking space/carnival stage.
wally vella-zarb
Apr 11th 2010, 12:07
"Parliament on stilts? To afford a better view of St James Cavalier, Mr Piano claims."
No Sir! The purpose is not that at all. 'Parliament-on-stilts' represents, very dramatically, the total detachment that Government have from the realities of everyday life that surround them. Witness the total disregard for the public, cross-party, outcry at this affront to aesthetics.
victor pulis
Apr 11th 2010, 12:25
Unless the stilts are higher than St. james cavalier the parliament will obscure the cavalier. The only visible part of the edifice will be a narrow strip in between the stilts. Furthermore, while on the subject of the new parliament. it has been reported that it will be self sufficient where energy is concerned. may i suggest it be run on methane gas as the place produces quite a lot of this type of energy!
Ron Saliba
Apr 11th 2010, 11:05
Well, Grand Master Jean Parisot de la Valette would also have looked at horror at the old opera house since it was not in the same baroque style as the city.
The flats at the side of the city gate are also not complimentary to the whole city. Shall these be removed as well?
Regarding your comment quote 'Parliament on stilts? To afford a better view of St James Cavalier, Mr Piano claims. Valletta requires solid buildings, not flimsy ones.' unquote
So you are saying that the parliament building will not be solid??!