A week has passed since Renzo Piano unveiled the plans for the rebuilding of the City Gate area, including the entrance to Valletta, the construction of the new Parliament building on what is today Freedom Square and the regeneration of the old opera house into an open air theatre.
As was expected, the new designs generated comments from various quarters, with organisations and individuals having a go at what the Italian architect has planned to give Valletta – or at least its entrance – a new lease of life. Most agreed, some had reservations, others dissented, but all in all it can be said that the people have generally speaking accepted his ideas.
It could be that what Mr Piano is proposing is good; and it could also be that the people are so fed up of seeing the entrance to Valletta in such a neglected state that anything instead of the current set-up is better.
And, let’s face it, the debate on what to do with the ruins of the opera house has been ongoing for 67 years, and it is about time that the matter is concluded once and for all. All throughout these two-thirds of a century we have had many ideas, shot them all down and left things as they are. Now, it seems that the government is really committed to do something.
Valletta deserves to be seen to. The thousands of Maltese who visit the capital city each and every day – many for work, others for shopping – have seen its entrance deteriorating year after year. The many thousands of tourists who visit the capital city each year also deserve to be able to appreciate Valletta more than they do at the moment.
The bus terminus is already an ugly site, apart from being a dangerous place to walk through.
Moreover, the many kiosks that dot the surroundings and which have found themselves on the bridge and beneath the gate add to the squalor. We also all remember how for a time Freedom Square was used for the monti open market, and how shabby the place looked when this happened.
Recently, we have also seen the setting up of two advertising screens at each end of Freedom Square, and they have not helped to make things better. It is hoped that they will be eliminated once the work starts.
Funnily enough, what many people seem to be talking about most with regard to the plans is not the Parliament building or the opera house site, but the removal of the road connection between the Castille Place and Hastings Gardens, which means that the traffic flow in Valletta will have to be rearranged.
That connection is an important link into the heart of Valletta, and many are concerned that its elimination will bring traffic chaos. However, it must be remembered that it is the government’s intention to limit the amount of cars that enter Valletta, or at least its central parts, so as to reduce pollution. The elimination of parking from St George’s Square and the removal of the open space in Freedom Square are another two initiatives that confirm the government’s line of thinking.
What Mr Piano has proposed will make the entrance to Valletta much more welcoming than what we have today. What we recommend is that the work is carried out within the established timeframes and within the budgeted costs. We cannot afford to leave the entrance to Valletta as a construction site for longer than is absolutely necessary.