The Chamber of Architects and Civil Engineers is weakening its own position against the market location
I can’t believe this. How hard is it to work out that the government (Muscat) assembles scalps and names for no purpose other than to validate what he intended to do all along?
And people fall for it. Because they are flattered, because they want the position and the attention, because they think they will actually be allowed to do what the government has said they’ve been asked to do, because they don’t realise that they are just being used for an ulterior motive.
It happens again and again and again.
Now it’s the Chamber of Architects and Civil Engineers. They issue a statement declaring their passionate objection to both the stalls themselves and to the positioning of the market right inside the Renzo Piano project, and the next thing we hear, they have accepted to be on the appraisal committee for the new market stall designs that will come in after a call for submissions.
What on earth FOR? Can’t they see they’re undermining their own position against having the market there? Can’t they see that by cooperating they are also compromising their position against having the market at the gate and between the theatre and Parliament House?
They will argue that they are only cooperating on the stall design. No, no, no. The stall design is not for market stalls. It’s for market stalls for the empty space between the theatre and Parliament House. So by getting involved in the design you are by default cooperating with and validating the choice of location.
I can’t believe these things have to be explained. People in Malta just don’t think strategically. They think cunningly, which is completely different. If Maltese people were generals, every battle would be lost.
How on earth does the Chamber of Architects and Civil Engineers think it can keep up the pressure against the location of the market stalls if it has got behind the table with the government on the choice of design of a stall for precisely that location?
Both Chris Cardona, who is the minister responsible for the market, and the prime minister keep making the point that the original design is not appropriate for the city gate area. There is a reason why they make a point of saying that. How can the Chamber of Architects and Civil Engineers not have picked it up?
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Christopher Mintoff is the President of the Chamber of Architects and Civil Engineers: http://www.ktpmalta.org/about-ktp/
He spoke last Sunday at the Labour Party convention – the same one at which Ian Castaldi Paris publicly endorsed his daddy Muscat.
The only three architects who have the guts to speak out against this horrendous positioning of the market are Edward Said, Alex Torpiano and Chris Briffa.
There have been other architects who spoke out. However, Daphne is right.
The Chamber should have urged its membership to stay out of the market stall design process until it received unequivocal assurances that the market would not be located next to the Piano masterpiece.
Well it seems that Cardona is offering some form of retreat:
“Dr Cardona also reiterated that he was aiming to fit the 75 stalls on one side of Ordnance Street – on the left-hand side of Republic Street, walking in through City Gate – so they did not have a visual impact on the project of internationally acclaimed architect Renzo Piano.”
But frankly that is going to prove equally ugly and shambolic. A slum is still the first thing you will see entering the city.
Markets evolve naturally, first and foremost out of a need and secondly out of a natural reaction to its surroundings. What we are going to get here is an attempt to fit a square peg into a round hole. Ultimately this may be for the good as the market will not succeed/survive and eventually dwindle away.
Muscat and the populace might not know what hegemony is.
But he practises it and the populace subscribes. And it’s quantifiable as well: 36,000.
My thoughts exactly. Their press release was weak, with their objection to the location mentioned almost only in passing. They even encouraged architects to participate in the design.
Three months down the line the PM will be claiming that even the Chamber of Architects agreed with the location.
Instead of taking a stand to defend the best piece of architecture in Malta, they play along and allow the Chamber to be used by government. Utterly shameful.
Spot on! First display something that is totally horrendous, then let the masses buy in by letting them decide what is the best design for a stall.
People can’t see the wood for the trees. It’s all about placing the tacky market in a world class site to just say – “In your Face PN & Renzo”! Cunning, sly and spiteful.
Money trumps principle every time in Malta. Muscat knows and uses this to his advantage.
i find it appalling that across all boards, people behave as if they have no alternative (and no self respect). They somehow believe that if they confront Muscat, they’ll be squashed/eliminated/displaced etc.
The Chamber’s president is quoted as saying that the Chamber will be using “its position on the panel to mitigate any negative impact”.
Mitigate?
That is another way of saying that the Chamber is already committed to giving its approval on a design which will have a negative impact. And they are doing so without having seen the designs at all.
Shame.
Hawkers are the new hunters. We musn’t upset them.
NOW Chris Cardona is saying that he does not like the design for the stalls?
After they were all made and the grand launch turned into a grand public rage? Is any minister doing his job?
”Perit Chris Mintoff @Perit_CMintoff · Jan 30
Monti at City Gate is equal to completing a luxurious apartment only for the client to plop a clothes horse in the openplan #montigate”
Perit Christopher Mintoff is the President of the Chamber of Architects. He is also a person who states that he has a passion for politics.
In fact there he is in the Labour AGM photo, right in front of Joseph Muscat.
I guess we shall soon see what this young professional is made of.
https://twitter.com/perit_cmintoff
Exactly, the call for expression of interest was specific.
It included methods to keep the place tidy etc.
U l-periti taparsi ma fehmux.
Time to separate that chamber into its architects and civil engineers.
This is the exact same notion as legal firms touting the passport scam.
Being exploited to stain their own conscience: he himself has none.
Reminds me of the passport scam where after slagging the scheme off, various PN officials tried to cash in.
The Chamber of Architects cannot go against Muscat. He’s a Mintoff. I am glad that I do not pay the membership fee anymore.
Exactly my thoughts when I read the article this morning. The Chamber of Architects and Civil Engineers are being used and they do not have an inkling or they do not have the balls to stand up and be counted.
Għalhekk dejjem ngħid li l-poplu Malti, għalkemm intelliġenti huwa mogħża, għax jimxi mal-merħla, ma jafx jiddelibera imma jiddeċiedi skont l-emozzjoni tal-mument….u din l-attitudni tilħaq livelli differenti tas-soċjeta’ li dejjem qed issir dekadenti.
Nagħti ħafna tort lill-edukazzjoni, li tqassam salt noti biex jintgħallmu bl-amment, bħal fil-letteratura. Minflok struttura ta’ kif nagħmlu kritika, inħożżu erba’ kelmiet u kulħadd jitgħallem bl-amment. Dan jirrifletti s-soċjeta’ Maltija li għandna, fejn kulħadd jibla bla ma jaħseb. Tipika din….nindunaw meta jkun tard wisq. Poplu Ġaħan…..
I could not agree more! How short- sighted and naive. It is the site of the market which is important, not the design of the stalls.
The Kamra tal-Periti would have shown more professionalism had they drawn up plans for the market to be relocated to St. Elmo with a free shuttle bus service from the bus terminus down Republic Street.
This would ease the life of the hawkers (a number of them live in Lower Valletta) while providing the shuttle bus occupants an excellent view of how lovely our Valletta entrance is.
Maybe because these are a bunch of morons. How on earth can you issue a statement against something and then apply to work for it.
This leaves me speechless. No wonder Labour got elected if even those are supposedly intelligent fall for this cunning sh*t.
Tacit.
Greed!
Chris Cardona confirms that the stall design is horrendous.
‘There are much uglier, disastrous stalls scattered across the island’ – Chris Cardona
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150204/local/50-want-to-redesign-vallettas-monti-stall.554652
Great article…
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150204/opinion/Why-I-am-crying-for-Valletta.554685
Christopher Mintoff, President of the Malta Chamber of Architects, misses the whole point when he states that ‘The Chamber would be using its position on the panel to mitigate any negative impact these stalls could have on the capital’s entrance.’
Renzo Piano’s actual project realisation consisted of the design of a new parliament building, the restoration of the previously existing opera house, the reconfiguration of the adjoining public spaces and the improvement of pedestrian circulation.
Any foreign object, no matter how well designed it is, will dramatically sour the holistic balance, the massing and the rich conversation between the critical parts. Anything other than open space will blight this bouquet of excellence created by one of the world’s most remarkable architects, Renzo Piano.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2015-02-04/local-news/Upper-part-of-Ordnance-Street-should-not-be-occupied-by-monti-hawkers-Jason-Micallef-6736130080
‘….Speaking during a news conference this morning, he said that V18 had teamed up with seven organisations, including the Manoel Theatre, St James Cavalier, the Philharmonic Orchestra, among others and sent a letter in July last year to Minister Chris Cardona’s office, suggesting that V18 and the rest of the organisations should be roped in on the matter, but to no avail.
He said that he hopes commonsense will prevail and the government takes into consideration V18’s concerns.
Mr Micallef said he was surprised to get a reply in August last year from a committee he did not know about, chaired by William Lewis, instead of Minister Cardona’s office, which bluntly told V18 that its proposals have not been approved…’
X’tahwid.
Then there’s the obvious question of why the market cannot be placed at the top of the stairs leading up to St.John’s Cavalier and around its perimeter.
The fact the market must not carve out its own niche is painfully obvious. As is the ‘right’ of residents of the block to park next to their newly installed wooden balconies.
The idea then is to drag artisans into one crossed vote swapping exercise screw up.
Periti to the rescue.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150204/local/v18-objected-to-monti-move-last-july.554763
Taghna Lkoll rotten to the very core: ‘jiddispjacina wasalna f’dal-punt’.
Explains Bondi’s doublespeak, Astrid’s silence and Kenneth’s Sunday morning brigade gone AWOL. Suckers.
Indeed, what about those architects who think no stall can complement the space?
The arrogance of the Chamber of Architects and Civil Engineers, a terminal apology to brute force, is an affront to its members, at least those who still uphold architecture.
I mean what is this, Periti out to vandalize space?
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/49219/watch_monti_relocation_a_welcome_change_say_hawkers_shoppers#.VNI8z9LF9mM
One of the hawkers confirms they forked out Eur 1,000 for the canvas; doubt whether the cost was anywhere over half the sum.
Someone made a killing. No wonder William Lewis wouldn’t speak to anyone else.
Interesting how talks had the hawkers settling for Merchants Street. It’s clear the number of licences increased, no need to describe these as hereditary. Pro-business Labour anyone?
Muscat to explain immediately how he arbitrarily decided to scrap these and who gets to pay for both the redesign and the mistake.
Ara vera pastaz u bla dinijta’.
Muscat is deflecting from the real issue. No matter how beautiful the design of the stalls, the location of the market is the real issue.
He is a master at deflection and his sole aim is the relocation of the market to the city gate area so as to satisfy his pre-electoral pledge to the hawkers.
Once again Muscat has sacrificed the national interest to appease a specific interest group who has helped get him into power and are now demanding their pound of flesh.
The stalls are dispensable in all this.
Muscat is using them to come across as the hero, the prime minister who listens by pulling the horrid stalls and in the process using flattery with the likes of the architects as a smokescreen for what he really wants to achieve.
Fools that they will allow themselves to be used in this way. Their position should be clear – the relocation simply must not happen.
A quick check will show you that the Kamra tal-Periti council members are a mix of village periti; taghna lkollers and self-important arse-lickers, always busy updating their self-awarded skills on LinkedIn.
They will trip over themselves to grab any opportunity for self-promotion.
On this, the Kamra tal-Periti can be given a free stall from where they can sell their stupid egos for recognition. Prosit kemm sirtu laghqa.
Does anyone know which of the market stalls sells hats? I want six of them for the carnival party at Villa Francia.
The government should tell us once and for all if it agrees with the stalls by the new parliament.
Are you going as Edward de Bono?
After dishing out so many ‘jobs for the boys’, why can’t Joseph find another 74 “positions” for these worthy individuals so making this discussion redundant?
I’m sure they have huge input to make Valletta the City of Culture 2018.
I think the Kamra tal-Periti just wanted to join the bandwagon, “u mhux xorta,” and get some publicity that it desperately needs.
There are way more important issues that the Chamber should be tackling, both within the built environment industry and on a national level, for example:
Such as the introduction of the new Architect-Perit & Civil-Engineer-Perit acts into Maltese law.
The Built Environment Facility academic reform at the University of Malta, from just the-jack-of-all-trades “Perit” into a division of either just an architect or just a civil engineer.
MEPA’s reform, MEPA’s agenda regarding legalisation of illegal development.
Public statements made by Sandro Chetcuti, and alike.
Changing the ideology that the built environment and its development is not supposed to be controlled by the political order, but by spatial planners, architects, urbanists, technocrats.
Until such issues are tackled, I guess the Chamber will be used like a “kazin tal-banda,” in your local village, with its members using it simply as a stepping stone to higher political and social places and further contacts.
Which is a sad story indeed as talent is being lost everyday with the way architecture governance is ran in this country.
Absolutely spot on.
Even because the architecture is missing as much as any expertise with structure.
For all the periti and entrepreneurs out there, we still haven’t managed any decent grade of reinforced concrete.
One wonders what happens to Sliema front in ten years’ time. Keep those tower cranes, we’ll need them.
Can anyone tell me who ever saw a market in Europe with uniform “standard” stalls?
A very sad day for the Chamber. I have no problem if the president or any chamber official is a political activist PROVIDED that narrow party politics and interests are kept out of the Chamber.
Regretfully the Chamber president has allowed it to be used to further a political agenda, namely to ensure government decision on the market’s location is not reversed.
This political agenda undermines the integrity of an outstanding architectural creation and therefore the Chamber president went against the very raison d’etre of the Chamber.
Instead of fighting for good architecture and good design, the Chamber is providing justification for its disruption.
I have not paid my membership fee for a very long time and the way the Chamber is going it seems I never will.