Chamber of Architects reiterates opposition to location of Monti Stalls

The Malta Chamber of Architects has reiterated its strong objection to the location of the proposed Monti Stalls in the vicinity of the new Parliament building. 

The Malta Chamber of Architects insists that the proposed Monti Stalls not be placed anywhere that may detract from the quality of the entrance of Valletta. President of The Chamber of Architects, Christopher Mintoff said that the relocation of the Monti Stalls to any of the urban spaces forming part of the City Gate, Parliament and Opera House ruins is “completely unacceptable, irrespective of the quality of the design of the stalls themselves”.

This, he said, undermines the objective of promoting an ethos within society that values quality, especially in public buildings and public urban spaces and simply serves the unjustified requests of a specific interest group, to the detriment of the over-arching importance of the quality of urban space for all to enjoy.

The City Gate project including the new Parliament building are an important statement of our national built and social heritage, and therefore makes a mockery of the significance of this Project to our national identity”, he said.

He emphasised that the open spaces in urban areas in Valletta as well as other towns and villages should belong to citizens and not to any specific interest groups.

The Chamber of Architects urges Government that urban open spaces, particularly in our capital city, but also in our towns and villages, belong to the citizens in Malta, and not to any specific interest group.

He added that the designs for the stalls should be the result of best available talents sourced through open and intelligent design competitions following ample time for discussion of the proposal. “The time of the fait accompli, as happened in the case of Castille Place, is surely past in our democracy”, he said.