Work on the new Parliament Building is proceeding at a fast pace at the former Freedom Square in Valletta.

The building has now reached ground level, with roofing completed over almost all the underground floors, which will be used mostly for parking.  Most of the work is now concentrated on the columns (stilts) which will characterise the building, lifting the above-ground floors in order to give an impression of space at the city entrance.

The Renzo Piano design will see the project split in two above-ground blocks, separated to allow pedestrians to see St James Cavalier behind them.

The two blocks will be separated by a central courtyard that will form the entrance. The East block will house mainly the chamber and the speaker’s office; the West, all administrative offices for MPs, the prime minister, ministers, and the leader of the Opposition.

There will be a sunken garden between the two sides, linked to the old railway tunnel.     

The ground floor will house an interactive Museum of Maltese history and political development. 

The building will feature a system of heat pumps to create a “zero (CO2) emission” building whose energy will be recovered by heat exchange with the underlying rock.