The discussion following the presentation of Piano’s plans for Valletta’s entrance continues. As they say, it’s generating more heat than light. Here’s a sample:
I hope I am not the only one by suggesting that the parliament looks like an alien super UFO who has just landed from its journey from Mars … lets take this opportunity and turn Freedom Square into a typical European city square, paved in the same manner like Republic Street and in the middle, a grand monument to the knights of Malta depicting their victory over the Ottomans (aka lord Nelson type monument in Trafalgar Square but with our La Vallette towering over the city with his famous sword by his side).
Spaceships come in various shapes and sizes but this would be the first one that’s “very squarish” as someone else called it. And a “typical European city square”, whatever that is, is usually found at the centre of the city not at the entrance to the side.
But if you think the La Vallette on a column was tacky (with his “famous sword”, the one with which he cut off Dragut’s head, by his side) here’s more:
I wish the Prime Minister read my Recommendations in my Dissertation, which includes the whole area. I recommended the Opera House re-built with a touch of modern architecture, the arches changed into round marble with Designer shops underneath and the Square, with a beautiful large Romanesque Fountain with Dolceria and coffee businesses around the square. I also suggested auditioned Street theatre. Now that is what Valletta needs and it also compliments the rest of the city. As far as City Gate is concerned, I made that entrance into a modern Tri Glass Pyramids where Art Exhibitions and other that can utilize the space in line with our Cultured mindset.
An Opera House in neo-classical (19th century) with “a touch of modern” (21st century), a large Romanesque (circa 10th to 13th century) fountain and tri-glass pyramids (20th century Louvre?). Sublime.
This is someone who has written a “Dissertation”. I wonder in which discipline.
[...] Square. Not to the Parliament building as such. There were objections to that, of course, from people who cannot see that it fully complements the military architecture of Valletta (St James Cavalier in the back and the new city gate at the side) or people who fail to appreciate [...]