The embellished and modernised Spinola Palace Garden in St Julian's - a Lm300,000 project - was yesterday inaugurated by President Eddie Fenech Adami, marking another stage in the facelift of what has become an upmarket area over the years.

The concept behind the garden is baroque in plan, with a contemporary twist in its realisation, architect Victoria Valletta from Ray Demicoli and Associates said. The baroque style was the point of departure for the design, given that Spinola Palace is the backdrop, she said.

The fact that the garden was used as a shortcut to cross from St George's Street to Church Street and Portomaso was also taken into account, she explained.

All the elements of the garden have been kept as light as possible to avoid interference with the palace's façade - the enclosing fencing is as see-through and lightweight as possible.

Its central structure, which provides a shaded area in the hub, is surrounded by vines to link up with the palace's history and its renowned wine cellars. The rest of the garden is composed of piazzas with seating areas, a water feature with random jets for playful fountains, and lighting that has been designed to create different moods, depending on the intended use of the space.

The project also includes new pavements and the removal of other structures.

Rural Affairs and the Environment Minister George Pullicino recalled the state of neglect the area was in just a few months ago, before the works began.

Carried out by government workers, it was the Tumas Group that invested in the creation of the garden as a gesture towards the St Julian's community and in connection with the permit to develop Portomaso.

With the issuing of the Portomaso development permit, Tumas Group was also committed to open its internal road for access to public traffic - another project that was in its final stages and which should be completed by the end of the month

The garden project was also tied to the improvement of the traffic management system in the roads around the garden, Mr Pullicino said.