Renzo Piano in Malta
www.timesofmalta.com 25 January – 19:02CET
Valletta has a lot of stories to tell – Piano
“If you have an ear to listen, Valletta has a lot of stories to tell,” architect Renzo Piano said this evening. Mr Piano and his senior partner Bernard Plattner are in Malta today to revisit Freedom Square and refresh their knowledge of the area. They will now be working on their brief for the development of City Gate, Freedom Square and the Opera House and their work will be presenting to the government in April. The project would be completed within four years.
Struck by fact that the sea could be seen from anywhere in Valletta, Mr Piano told a news conference that Valletta was telling him that there should not be an open space as soon as one enteredthe city. Freedom Square was too empty and Valletta was about compression and intensity.
He said it was positive that the project was not commercial and the idea was to have something that was culturally and civically important. Mr Piano said that having parliament on site was a civic gesture that made sense. For the project was intended to be civic, public and cultural.
Although he was considering all options for the opera house, Mr Piano said there would be no underground parking. “The more space you have for cars, the more cars you attract.” When it came to style, Mr Piano said that modern was the only way to go but this did not mean one had to be aggressive.
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@Professor Piano
Please can you convince the authorities that besides deserving the very best you can offer for our capital city, the public also expects a decent national infrastructure, which obviously includes some decent roads. I just split a tyre in a crater opposite Nazzarenu church: 320 days into this legislature and NOTHING has been done as far as roads are concerned. Isn’t this what ‘Product Malta’ is all about ? Minister, who reports to you on this? surely he should be accountable. Let’s get our priorities right, sir.
No underground car park is fine – as long as the people using the building i.e. members of parlaiment and their staff, do not expect to find parking in the vicinity and we end up with some other space being taken up for reserved parking.
What will happen to the bus terminarse? We still haven’t been told.
[Daphne – I hear, to my horror, that it will stay put.]
This comment is patronising to say the least. We don’t need Piano to tell us that the sea can be seen anywhere from Valletta.
[Daphne – It was a civilised observation, Gerald. It’s called conversation. Renzo Piano is one of those Italian men who almost redeem the rest of his big-talking, strutting compatriots – elegant, a good conversationalist, and ever so civilised. But I’m beginning to think you wouldn’t know civilised small-talk if it bludgeoned you with Joseph Muscat’s Hot Wax Hair Gel.]