A photograph of the present view of City Gate taken from the end of the 'Biskuttin' in front of Pheonicia Hotel, as well as an artists' impression prepared by the Renzo Piano's studio of the newly opened view of the City entrance has been published by the Infrastructure Ministry.
The impression gives an idea of the original dramatic effect of approaching Valletta from the landward side according to the original intention of the City's founders and designers, the ministry said.
It said that before placing the Tritons in this new location, at the side garden where the Royal Airforce War Memorial is situated, studies will be conducted on the best way to treat and restore the fountain to its original glory reversing the considerable damage it has suffered over time as a result of pollution as well as the notorious incident when the fountain was unwisely and harmfully used as a performance platform.
The ministry also published a commentary by the architect's studio about the recommendation to move the fountain by less than 50 meters as part of the effort to restore the architectural and historical context of the entrance to the fortified city. It
The Tritons Fountain was first installed in its present location to decorate the bus terminus that is located at the entrance to the city in place of the original fortifications and ramparts that were removed to make way for transport infrastructure. The present bus terminus becomes redundant on July 3.
The following is a commentary by the Renzo Piano Building workshop:
"The Tritons' fountain in front of City Gate can be considered the final touch in a series of Colonial period projects aimed at improving accessibility to and mobility in and around Valletta. These projects, which included the construction of a lift at the Upper Barrakka and the operation of a railway that linked the town with the centre of the island, continued to be maintained and upgraded all throughout the twentieth century. In fact, these are the years that saw the gradual modernization of the islands especially in terms of transportation and communications technologies, an evolution which was an imperative especially in view of the role that Malta played as a military base.
"The military justification for these improvements was accompanied with advancements in transport and communication systems that were put in place for the enjoyment of the civilian population. The introduction of the tramway and, eventually, the bus system, was accompanied by the increased use of the private car and the construction of roads became one of the topmost priorities of several successive governments. The creation of the plaza in front of City Gate, which entailed the burial and partial annihilation of the outer works of the landward fortification system, belongs to this period which also saw the great 'sventramenti' of the old village cores which irrevocably destroyed the authentic context of several of our parish churches.
"The present project for the re-organization of the transport system reverses the Modernist obsession with progress at the expense of preservation. It aims at providing an efficient and comfortable transport system that is sustainable, as invisible as possible, and one that minimizes the deleterious effects of pollution. To this end, the plaza in front of City Gate is being liberated from the scores of buses which hitherto constituted the first impression of Valletta for anyone visiting the town. Needless to say, the superimposition of the Terminus in the early twentieth century took no notice of the conservation needs of the town, and the addition of the Tritons' fountain can be considered, because of its scale and positioning, as the fulcrum of the old Terminus with no connection to the authentic and historic image of the entrance to Valletta.
"Today, the evolution of conservation philosophy and legislation on Malta as well as Valletta's status of World Heritage Site, provide an imperative for the conservation element in the design of the new entrance. The repositioning of the Fountain, while paying tribute to the work of Vincent Apap, one of Malta's foremost sculptors of the Modern Period, will, together with the removal of the buses, free up the vista of the town walls and return the area to its pre-1950s situation. This falls within the general philosophy of the project for the entrance of Valletta which includes the restoration of the sixteenth century bridge spanning the ditch and the reintroduction of the original skyline of the fortification walls.
"The fountain of course has great value as a public art work which will be retained in spite of its repositioning very close to its original location in a garden connected to the new park of pine trees where its green backdrop will complement the watery fantasy of these telamonic sea creatures, part man part fish."