The controversial new floors on the new judiciary chambers in Valletta will be rebuilt as a recessed structure that will not be visible from Old Bakery Street.

Justice Minister Chris Said announced yesterday that the director general of the law courts had issued instructions to file a planning application to demolish and rebuild the extra floors.

“We were conscious of the sensitivity of the capital city and its history and wanted to find a solution to this problem… to ensure the building respects Valletta’s skyline,” Dr Said noted.

The €1.8 million government project was slammed by the Chamber of Architects and environmental organisations for being an eyesore with at least three floors – built with limestone and cement blocks – towering over the adjacent buildings in Old Bakery Street.

Dr Said pointed out that the height of the building was expected to be lower so that it would not be seen from Bakery Street.

The building, which will also house the Family Court, will be completed by the end of the year, according to Dr Said.

“At the moment, there are no (construction) works going on. What remain are the finishing works, for which there is an ongoing tendering process,” he said.

The application to amend the plans, which can also be done through a development notification order, will be filed at the planning authority.

Dr Said expects the approved amended plans and the dismantling of the walls to be completed within a few weeks.

When asked whether the changes would mean additional costs, Dr Said replied it would be very minimal.

These changes were agreed upon following a number of meetings between the director general of the courts and the planning authority.

The works on the building involved joining two houses in Strait Street and raising the structure to eight floors.

The project had been recommended for refusal by the planning directorate after the government submitted an application in 2001. The Development Control Commission overturned the recommendation and granted the permit after asking the developer to remove a bridge linking the new chambers to the law courts.

A photo of the recently-erected floors, which was posted on Facebook, spiralled into a national controversy that forced a rethink.