50 want to redesign Valletta’s monti stall

Fifty expressions of interest have been submitted in less than 24 hours for the redesign of the controversial monti stalls proposed for Valletta.

Small Businesses Minister Chris Cardona said he hoped the winning design would meet with public approval after the original stalls got the thumbs down and were “rejected through public outcry and uproar”.

The government decided to return to the drawing board after the structures – a mix of PVC, metal and wood, featuring eight-pointed crosses painted in red against a white background – generated a nationwide cacophony of disapproval.

“I think we should be humble and modest. I’m not a technical person or an architect, but I too didn’t like the stalls when I saw them,” Dr Cardona told Times of Malta.

Aesthetically they weren’t appropriate for City Gate

“From a practical point of view they served the hawkers’ needs, but aesthetically they weren’t appropriate for City Gate,” he added.

The evaluating committee is being led by the Chamber of Architects and includes representatives from the Office of the Prime Minister, the Culture and Small Businesses ministries and Valletta council.

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.

The Sunday Times of Malta reported these comments in reaction to the furore that erupted following news that the stalls were going to spill over on both sides of Ordnance Street and take ‘pride of place’ next to Renzo Piano’s new parliament building and Pjazza Teatru Rjal. But The Malta Independent yesterday erroneously stated this was not the case.

Dr Cardona said yesterday: “I repeat. If physically possible we’re going to fit all the stalls on the left-hand side, without interfering with the new parliament, Republic Street and the old theatre.”

Minister denies hawkers’ claims

He also denied claims by some hawkers that he had reassured them – one day after this newspaper’s report – that they would still be able to set up next to the parliament building and the old theatre.

“I have never committed to anything with them. Our pledge is to migrate to Ordnance Street. Now whether they will all fit on the left-hand side is something we have to discuss and figure out,” he said. “This is our goal and we are actively working on this. I’m trying very hard to fit them all in that part of Ordnance Street as that would be the ideal situation.”

Asked if he realistically believed all the stalls would fit, Dr Cardona said a balancing act had to be performed. But the government could not afford to have any stalls, not even a handful, spill over beyond Republic Street. The previous plans are being completely re-evaluated and different alternatives were being considered, while taking into consideration hawkers’ needs to be able to operate unencumbered.

Dr Cardona also said that the stalls that had been constructed – which cost “less than €1,000 each”– were not going to waste and he had received numerous requests from those interested in using them for other markets from artisan to agricultural and food. “I wouldn’t object having them used elsewhere. There are much uglier, disastrous stalls scattered across the island,” he said.

Dr Cardona said the government would also be working on encouraging hawkers to upgrade their product in line with their more exclusive location. “I hope they will realise this is part of the equation. Obviously, we can only guide and encourage them; we cannot dictate.”

The Chamber of Architects, which has been tasked with chairing the newly appointed Design Review Panel for the new stalls, added its voice to the debate last night.

Chamber president Christopher Mintoff said there were two major objections towards the proposed market in Valletta: the initial location next to the parliament building and the stalls’ design.

“Any interventions in and around the City Gate area should be consistent and compatible with the original design brief and Renzo Piano’s actual project realisation,” Mr Mintoff said.

The chamber, he added, would be using its position on the panel to mitigate any negative impact these stalls could have on the capital’s entrance.