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La Valletta.:Renzo Piano city | 2 | *ProgIsole

Renzo Piano’s plans for the Gate is a bridge, 8 metres wide and is made of massive stone elements, monumentally shaped and flanked by high, framing blades of steel. Its architecture must be simple, strong, steering away from any extravagance.

The plans for the bridge consist in restoring the bridge back to its original dimensions of Dingli’s gate of 1633. Thus the experience of crossing from one side to another will be enhanced and the view to the ditch will be possible again.

The new design aims at giving back the bastion walls of the first gate of Valletta, their original expression of depth and strength by enhancing the feeling of narrowness, while at the same time opening up the view to the perspective of Republic Street. The street crossing above will be removed and two large and gently sloped stairs, will lead from both St James’ and St John’s Cavaliers down to Republic Street. Thus the fortifications will appear in their full height.

The panoramic lift that leads to the protected gardens below gate and ditch will be connected through a redesigned stair and an exterior.

The design for the Opera Site will be used for outdoor performances with a capacity of around 1,000 spectators. The site was too small to contain a Parliament Building; a modern opera, of conventional size, considering today’s requirements, would not even fit in this place; after more than 60 years of controversy, the Ruins of the demolished opera have reached the status of a monument.

The project envisages that all stone work will be preserved and some of the still existing scattered fragments reused. A new, very light skin or façade will define the space, supported by surrounding alignment of steel masts and columns. These will carry removable walls, lighting systems, acoustic and sound equipment. When the theatre is not in use, it will remain an open piazza. The translucent wall element will be able to enclose the space but also remain sunken, so performances can be held in the scenery of some of the city’s best buildings. If it is properly equipped, the opera will be very rare in the Mediterranean.

According to the plans, the new parliament will be located inside Freedom Square, where today there is nothing but a parking space. This would give a vibrant urbanity at Valletta’s entrance.

The ground floor of this building is being proposed to host an interactive Museum of Maltese History and Political Development.

The new building will distance itself from St James’ Cavalier giving back to this historic structure its original grandeur and shape. The new construction is made of two massive volumes of stone, supported by stilts that recede from the façade of create an impression of suspension in air. The East block will house the chamber and the speaker’s office an; the West, all administrative offices for members of parliament, the Ministers, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. A central courtyard will separate both volumes.

This building will work on zero emission. Through the stable temperature of the immense mass of rock below, enough energy can be recovered to heat and cool the whole building.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi stated that the launched project embodies architecture, culture, politics, democracy, literature, art, music, and the human meeting at the entrance of the city.

This year Malta is celebrating 5 years since it joined the EU. In 2014 it will celebrate 50 years since Independence; the following year will be the 450th anniversary since the Great Siege of Malta; in 2016 Malta will celebrate 450th anniversary since the setting up of Valletta. In 2017, Malta will have the Presidency of the EU Council and in 2019 there will be the 100th anniversary since Sette Giugno, he said.

This project, Dr Gonzi continued, must be completed before all this.

In the centre of these anniversaries there is also the government’s Vision for 2015. The aim of Vision 2015 is not primarily for more money, but a better life for each citizen, the creation of a society where all persons would be able to fully develop their capabilities, he concluded.

Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt stated that Malta has been discussing for 60 whole years about what should be done. Now it is time to make decisions, not only just to repair and cover up faults, but also to carry out the responsibility of our generation that it should leave evidence of our times.

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