News | Sunday, 07 March 2010

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Barrakka lift plans amended to mitigate visual impact

James Debono
Plans for the proposed lift linking Lascaris ditch and the Upper Barrakka gardens were changed to mitigate the visual impact of the 150-metre high structure, MaltaToday has learned.
This caused a delay which made it impossible for the government to issue a call for tenders by the end of last year as announced by Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt in March last year.
“As part of the planning process the designs were amended to accommodate a request by MEPA to reduce the visual impact associated with the proposed structure,” a spokesperson for the infrastructure ministry told MaltaToday.
While the original proposal (pictured) envisaged a metallic structure that widened at the top like a blossom, merging into the Barrakka garden arches, the latest plans show a leaner concrete tower of uniform width linked to the Barrakka by a bridge.
The tender will only be issued once a development permit is granted by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, a ministry spokesperson confirmed.
A planning application for the construction of the lift was submitted to MEPA in May last year by the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation. The project will also involve the demolition of the National Statistics Office’s building in the ditch, and the embellishment of the area in front of Old Customs House is set to host a large water feature.

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