The market’s new home. Photo: Jason Borg

Architects and designers have fiercely criticised Valletta’s newly designed monti stalls, which will be erected between Renzo Piano’s new Parliament building and Teatru Rjal.

The market’s move from Merchants Street will see hawkers’ stalls also placed all along Ordnance Street, on either side of Republic Street, according to project architect William Lewis – with some sitting right in the middle of the City Gate redevelopment.

Among those speaking out against the decision, architect Edward Said described the “hopeless” placement of the stalls as running completely counter to the spirit of the City Gate project.

The taxpayer has paid a lot of money for a very poor final result

“The beauty of the urban regeneration is unobstructed viewing lines. The Parliament building was designed on stilts so that you can appreciate the authentic fabric which was discovered in the process of rebuilding, looking towards St James’ Cavalier and the Opera House ruins. Having all these stalls in the way ruins that vision. It just feels wrong,” he said.

An earlier conceptual design for the monti stalls.

The design of the stalls – consisting of a metal frame fronted with white marine plywood and a red embossed eight-pointed cross motif – has also come under fire.

“It’s naive: just chucking a Maltese cross on something to make it look ‘traditional’ is worse than cliché,” said Mr Said.

He called the overall design “very mediocre”, and questioned why a competition was not held to select the final look.

“The stalls could have been a work of art in themselves. Instead, the taxpayer has paid a lot of money for a very poor final result. They should have gone for something contemporary, to reflect the general theme of modernisation around City Gate,” he said.

It’s naive: just chucking a Maltese cross on something to make it look ‘traditional’ is worse than cliché

Designer Carlo Schembri, who prepared a conceptual design and prototype for the monti stalls two years ago, said the new design represented a missed opportunity and a “huge mistake” that opened the government up to criticism. He called for more discussion to find a constructive way forward. Among other aspects, Mr Schembri questioned the choice of colour, which he said was too stark for the capital city, and the stalls’ large size and shape.

“Monti stalls should be small, flexible and easy to dismantle. What they’ve got here are basically shops, not stalls,” he said.

Project architect Edward Lewis said hawkers will have a licence to operate on all days of the week. Although the stalls would initially be dismantled every day at close of business, discussions are in progress with the Economy and Culture ministers over the stalls becoming a permanent fixture, with the possibility of an artisans’ market occupying them in afternoons and evenings.