The 10 kiosks which the government has installed in the newly refurbished Tritons Square in Valletta cost Maltese taxpayers some €400,000.
The kiosks – which have stirred up public controversy due to their simple and, according to some, ugly design – were manufactured by a Spanish company through a direct order issued by the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation (GHRC).
Government sources said that Microarquitectura SL, based in Spain, was responsible for the design, supply and installation of the kiosks, which will now be allocated to the owners of the former kiosks at City Gate.
It is not yet known whether the owners of the kiosks will also be allowed to set up tables and chairs in the middle of Tritons Square to provide food and beverages to the passing trade.
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The Tourism Ministry, which is responsible for the GHRC, did not reply to questions on the commissioning of the kiosks.
No answers were forthcoming from Minister Konrad Mizzi’s office when it was asked how the design and manufacture of the kiosks had been chosen and how much they had cost.
“Although the new kiosks are much better than what used to be there at City Gate, it’s still a very poor design, considering that we spent €40,000 for each one,” an architect told the Times of Malta.
They should be on the periphery to leave the open space intact
“A fresh and modern design which is more compatible with the newly refurbished open space in the entrance of the capital would have been ideal,” he said.
Soon after the installation of the kiosks a few weeks ago, social media was inundated with comments criticising their design. Some critics have compared the kiosk placement in the middle of the new square to the Freeport, where transhipment containers are stacked.
Others complained about the lack of open space due to the kiosks and argued they should have been placed on the periphery of the square to leave the newly created open space intact and not turned into another disorganised open market.
When the new Tritons Square project was announced, the government said that the new kiosks would have a simple iron and wood design which would ensure uniformity in the square.
According to the government, the design was completed after analysing the flow of people through the square and the function of the kiosks.