‘Not historical enough’ – heritage watchdog on Piano’s City Gate
James Debono The Superintendence of Fortifications has expressed concern over Renzo Piano’s proposed reconstruction for City Gate because it is “an unprecedented departure from historical notions of fortified city entrances”, due to the lack of any formalised gateway in the form of “some monumental opening”.
But the Superintendence has welcomed various aspects of the project, including the “reduction of the gap in the Porta Reale” and the “uncovering of the original arched bridge.”
This emerges from comments submitted by the Superintendence to MEPA on 29 October 2009, which are recorded in a case officer’s report which is calling for the approval of the City Gate project.
The superintendence expressed concern that the removal of the present road passing over the gate will somewhat negate the notion of ‘continuity’ at bastion level.
On its part MEPA’s advisory panel on cultural heritage issues welcomed the fact that the opera house ruins will be retained. It also agreed with the new city gate entrance and the restoration of the bridge to its original state. The case officer’s report recommending the approval of the project does not offer any justification for the decision to build a parliament in Freedom Square and a roofless theatre which incorporates the present ruins, but gives an interesting account of the history of the site.
The report recounts how the Casa della Giornata, which served as a residence of the Turcopilier of the English Language of the Order, was demolished to make way for Barry’s Opera House, which was built on the site at a cost of £25,000. The theatre was badly damaged during a 1942 air-raid, and soon after its demolition a design competition was held in 1953. The conditions of the competition stated that the features of the original opera house were to be retained as much as possible. But the project was never completed.
As regards Freedom Square, the report narrates how the piazza was until the 1960s occupied by a three-storey residential block perched on a rock. The building was demolished and the rock cut to the level of Republic Street during the construction of the present City Gate in 1964. The case officer’s report refers to all the policies regulating development in City Gate, which includes Structure Plan Policy COM 1, which states that parliament and ministries will be concentrate in the palaces and auberges of Valletta. This point was also raised in the “over 1,264” objections received by MEPA regarding this application. But the report makes no attempt to justify the development of a parliament in a public square in view of this policy.
The report also refers to Structure Plan Policy BEN 12, which states that it is up to the Planning Authority to decide if an Environment Impact Assessment is required or not. But no attempt is made to explain why no such assessment has been conducted on the proposed project. One of the conditions imposed in the report is that the height of the new parliament will not exceed the height of the parapet wall of the housing block opposite the gate, and shall not exceed 19 meters from the highest point on the Republic Street façade.
Another condition is that the Park and Ride in Floriana be extended to make up for the displacement of 467 parking spaces.
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