Four young architects have come up with a concept that could turn the heavily congested St Anne Street in Floriana into a pedestrianised garden strip.
Their idea is to turn Floriana back into the garden city it was originally built to be – by removing cars from St Anne Street and regenerating the unused Pope John Paul II Square located along the busy road,
Architect Ian Camilleri Cassar acknowledges that, whenever he utters the words “removing cars from St Anne Street”, he is greeted with scepticism.
“But, when you think about it, the concept is really simple. Cars will drive underneath the green area. St Anne Street is changed into a green strip,” he explains as he points at an artist’s impression of a tunnel under St Anne Street.
The idea is that cars would drive down into the tunnel at the Lion Fountain and re-emerge just before the roundabout leading into the capital.
Mr Camilleri Cassar, a partner at DHi Periti in Floriana, explains how the idea of doing something about Floriana was the result of him working there for the past eight years.
“Many see Floriana as a strip – a road – that leads into Valletta. Floriana, basically, doesn’t exist for many.
“But, over the years, I started to realise that Floriana really has a charm to it. It was originally designed as a garden city, having four gardens in each corner and open spaces where people can gather.
Many see Floriana as a strip – a road – that leads into Valletta. It basically doesn’t exist for many
“Unfortunately, today it’s one of the most polluted towns in Malta, having the most polluted road – St Anne Street. From a garden city it became a black city that empties after office hours,” he says.
Then, about a year ago, the Floriana local council approached Mr Camilleri Cassar to develop a concept to turn Pope John Paul II Square into a usable space.
He brought together a team to start working on a proposal. These were architects Bernard Vella, 32, and Anna Gallo, 36, and junior architect Adam Brincat, 25. Their aim was to go beyond the square and create a concept for a sustainable city and a green entrance into Valletta.
They came up with a two-pronged project. The first involves the square, which is currently a dead space due its proximity to traffic and because the shaded area, where there are trees, is not a usable space.
They are proposing screening off the road with a line of trees and creating a series of steps leading to the area where the trees. This area would be converted into a space for people to enjoy. The granaries would remain untouched.
Tied to this, they are also proposing turning St Anne Street into a pedestrianised green strip with shaded areas, a bicycle lane, an electric bike-sharing and charging station, self-sufficient street lamps and energy-generating benches, among other features.
“Imagine it being totally pedestrianised and having high-end commercial outlets and cafes. People can actually come and spend time in Floriana. We believe the piazza is doable. St Anne Street may be a dream, but it’s not impossible,” he said.