They have GOT to be joking. Look what they’ve gone and dumped near the Renzo Piano stairway.
Published:
June 17, 2014 at 10:03pm
I’m told it’s been there for months. Are they mad?
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That’s been there for months.
What a bunch of idiots!
Lost for words!
Is this a big joke? Have they not got any sense of pride in this majestic project?
And probably they used rawl bolts and/or screws and/or nails to secure the structure to the wall.
It’s been there for months now.
Molto pittoresco, darlings.
What does Jozef think?
In a republic one can use words to their fullest extent and free from accusations of conceit, read the PC brigade’s agenda;
Meta l-plebalja tiehu kontroll tal-istat l-ewwel ma tispicca l-forma.
L-ewwel. Ejja naraw x’ghamlu;
Harbtu s-servizz tal-linja u regghu mlew quddiem il-Belt bir-racanc, jidher car li mhux se jmissu l-gabbani u dawk l-affarijiet tal-konkos u hgieg li jissejhu ‘shelters’.
Nsomma, ir-riha ta’ bewl tibqa’ ma’ sormna.
Mhumiex se jispiccaw id-ditch, anzi diga’ beda’ tiela skeletru tal-konkos taht is-swar biex Manuel ikollu fejn jipparkja. U harja f’wicc Piano.
It-tieni. B’liema mohh qeghdin jaghmluh;
U min jahseb li hu Piano, gej b’dal vojt kollu, ara ahna nimlew biex ‘ninqdew’.
Jigi Joe Grima u jisthajjel li bniedem ghandu jithallas ghax taparsi ghamel xi haga li jista’ jifhem kulhadd, u mhux ghax hadha fuq spallejh jirrifletti l-verita’ ta dal-pajjiz. U mhux bilfors ghajnejhom iweggghu u taqbadhom fernezija.
(Sinjuri esperti tal-barokk tat-toqba t’ghajni, meta ha tifhmu li Piano m’ghamilx bieb, u l-intenzjoni tieghu li ma jsirx bieb kienet cara u sinciera? Ghax allura tridu tispjegawli liema bieb, kemm il nicca’, statwa, x’ordni u liema skrolli jistghu jimlewna. inthom li li x’hin tghaddu minn quddiem xi terrazzin bil-funtana tal-fiber erhilkom titqazzu u tomghodu l-jaqq
Piano ghamel restawr tas-swar, l-uniku pass logiku, algebraiku. it-teatru hallieh ghalina sabiex jinbena, il-pedamenti li pogga huma dawk l-imberkin siggijiet forsi nidraw nahsbu u naslu ghal dak li neqsin minnu; hila mentali)
It-tielet. X’ikolli nikkonkludi fuq dan-nies.
Ghandhom saram bil-materja, jew jiskru fil-materjalizmu jew iridu ta’ haddiehor. Qatt pero’, ma jista jkun taghhom.
Tlellix ta’ bhal Novembru jew tas-sewwa ikiddhom wisq dan-nies.
Mela imla, imla kemm tiflah, ikun xi jkun basta ma narawx.
Ic-Central Bank maqtul, kulhadd jitlaq il-karozzi kif gie gie, l-istess Kastilja, u l-ministeru ta’ Manuel, hlief gabilloti mlebbsin ta’ nies ma tarax.
Dawn huma, ghal kull raguni ta’ dak li jirnexxilhom jaghmlu; nies inqas.
Ghax dik biss tispjegahom, nies inqas.
Mimlijin liri u m’ghandhomx fiex jonfquhom. U jekk l-idea ma tiswiex, ghax inkella jkun serq, il-kuragg li zzomm idea thallik jew cuc jew iblah.
Kieku qatt sibt xi ktieb li rrid jien.
I knew you were a genius, Jozef, but this is beyond genius.
Il-ktieb li trid int, Jozef, ikun Stephen C. Spiteri li jaf jinqala’ mill-enceintes u counterscarps biex ipoggi l-oggett fil-kuntest storiku, socjali u strategiku, u jghid darba ghal dejjem li Valletta is a citadel, li bastioned defence exists only as a whole, and therefore the door to a Renaissance citadel is not the focal point of anything.
Ikun Mario Buhagiar li jaghmel zoom out mill-fine Mannerist portrait biex jghid darba ghal dejjem li Valletta is not a Baroque city.
Tkun Charlene Vella li tghid car li jekk Antonello da Messina kien ghadu l-apice tal-arti fl-1566, kif qatt seta’ xi hadd jibni Baroque city?
Ikun Giovanni Bonello li jikkundanna dik l-istatwa orrenda ta’ LA Valette, jaghmel lista tal-anakronizmi taghha, u jispjega li fl-1566 ma tistax taghmel Baroque city plan.
Ikun Nicholas de Piro jghid car li l-antenati tieghu ippruvaw, u ghamlu lobbying sfrenat, biex f’din il-gzira provincjali u ghallinqas ikollhom venue ghall-entertainment raffinat.
Ikunu s-pseudohistorians Maltin kollha li johorgu mit-tourist brochure erudition taghhom biex ikollhom il-kuragg jippublikaw mhux fuq Valletta, izda fuq Palmanova.
Ikun Kenneth Zammit Tabona li jirrealizza li z-Zeitgeist of Valletta mhuwhiex id-Duke of Cumberland jitpaxxa b”See the Conqu’ring Hero Comes’, izda l-Prior of Léon in procession to ‘Circumdederunt me Gemitus Mortis’.
Ikunu l-librarians, il-publishers u r-reviewers kollha li jipprojbixxu darba ghal dejjem il-“Melitensia”.
I agree with you Jozef – may be a good idea to translate your comment into English. At least certain people will understand that not all the Maltese are idiots who do not appreciate the works of world famous architects. No offence to Maltese architects intended of course.
Stephen C. Spiteri was a colleague.
The word baroque has been used incessantly both to keep this place from synthesis as well as draw a boundary where Muscat’s Moviment cannot enter.
Yes, the warrior Grand Master in a baby doll doesn’t really induce reverence. Makes a good ramp for pubescent skateboarders though.
Your emphasis on open space opens up another dilemma;
Given that we’ve replaced space with time, where the latter cannot pass, thus mental illusion of constant space, Piano’s plan becomes insidious. He tampered with the possibility of space, oh horor vacui.
As metaphysical and melanchonic as De Chirico. And that for any Maltese folklore, one which dictates is-sinjuri kuntenti u ahna msejkna, renders the same sinjur as fragile.
If so, it’s a scandal beyond comprehension, obliges to think a future.
Point is, I doubt the baroque brigade ever expected to obtain otherwise if their papier mache’ ever took hold. Unless they miss the colourful cars and shorts wearing pot bellied ‘parkers’.
I mean did they actually think the Opera house could be rebuilt, the gate ditto, WITHOUT the staircases, leave the brutalistic ‘square’ and not realise the result would have been absolutely pathetic and hateful?
If it’s the postcard they’re after, all they have to do is mix with the ‘crowd’ loitering around the terminus. That was Malta then, as it is now. The ones in sepia just don’t talk and wear vintage Dolce e Gabbana.
But aren’t those two ‘Telemalta’ boxes against St.Catherine’s sweet? Just like two Sliema houses resisting arrest by bad developers.
The perit’s monument will be spectacular to watch unfold.
It’s on the left as soon as you cross the bridge but first you need to pass the shoe/handbag stall u tal hobz u qaq. Further down there’s a Melita kiosk.
It actually looks much worse than the picture.
That is Gilardu’s kiosk previously situated by the side of the theatre. This is the second time his kiosk changed location during the construction of the project.
It seems he is awaiting to be relocated like all other shops previously set up in the area.
‘Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.’
Henry Ford
Perhaps the Valletta Capital of Culture champions should try it. What utter idiots!
Yes, it has been there for months, I’m in Valletta almost every day. I think this kiosk was part of the ground floor of the old theatre (or what was left of it) before construction started. If I’m not mistaken it was then moved to a bit to the side in a temporary stand next to the construction area in front of the new parliament, and then moved to the stairs.
All I can say is that Valletta’s entrance looks really majestic now. You feel as if you’re in a real European country (if you avoid looking to your left towards the Arcades, that is).
Valletta’s entrance is the Triton’s fountain.
Joe Mizzi is in the way.
Just incredible…Could not believe my eyes when I first saw it about a month ago.It looks horrible both by day and after shopping hours when it is closed.
How about an imqaret kiosk in that location for the Christmas season?
Some government entity will quote Keats now with “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.
Perhaps the water in Malta should be tested. How is it ‘with good reason’ that a person puts a foreign flag on top of an office which is NOT his own personal property?
Whenever one wants to fudge the line it seems that we now have a handy attitude of ‘u ijja, mhux xorta?’ And before anyone comments on how altruistic this or that person is, please note I am not disputing that BUT it has no bearing on my argument.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140617/worldcup/updated-paola-parish-priest-flies-brazilian-flag-as-football-fever-takes-hold.523841
They are not mad. They are only clueless philistines where artistic values are concerned.
I would like to think it is just an act of ignorance on whoever’s part and not just spite. Hopefully the authorities concerned will remove it immediately.
Is there something wrong with the heading of this blog, or am I so stupid in the language? Look what they’ve “GONE” and dumped near the Renzo Piano stairway.
Unless I am mistaken, the expression ‘gone and dumped’ is the idiomatic equivalent of the Maltese ‘qabdu w tefghu’.
The word ‘gone’ is, then, not a misprint of ‘done’.
There’s nothing wrong with Daphne’s English – ever.
They need some of these kiosks outside Buckingham Palace. Maybe some Maltese can take up the opportunity.
Surely they need permission to put it there. Who would be responsible for this?
Well, what do you expect. It’s Geraldu’s iced bun.
The information I have is that Gilardu Kiosk will be moved to the arcades, in the space next to Trafalgar, where the old staircase used to be. So it will eventually form part of the beautiful City Gate shopping arcades of European standards.
What a pity to leave the arcades in their present state, being right on the entrance of our capital and opposite the new parliament
The shop owners are losing money because there is no indication of shops apart from Birger King which has engulfed the entire arcade. Most of the shops on the first floor have closed down and the government grabbed the opportunity to use them for parliamentarians/ministries.
The parliamentarians will have a nice view every time they have a peep from the parliament building.
And what about the ‘monti’, which will be relocated in Ordnance Street? It will be a perfect match with the arcades. And the filthy floor, where the two coffee shops place their tables and chairs. It gives one the impression that the area belongs to a North African City. The African patrons (no disrespect here) add the perfect touch.
The entrance to the city built by gentlemen should be cleared of the present mess created by the stalls (that block the entrance to Valletta) and kiosks. The original Arriva side of the city entrance is an example of professionalism in design.
Do we ever learn?
It’s all about shopping arcades with you people, isn’t it? That and the cliché about the city built by gentlemen.
I’ve been told that it’s only there on a temporary basis.
To add insult to injury pretty soon the Monti stalls will be moving to Ordnance street.