Carnival village project to transform into cultural hub with cinema, theatres and studios

A cinema and two theatres have been included in a proposed cultural hub that will replace plans for a carnival village in Marsa's Albert Town. 

The new development proposed on the site of the former Government Garage is set to occupy an area the size of nearly three football grounds. 

The details emerge from a Project Description Statement presented by Festivals Malta for the site where a carnival village was approved in 2016 but never built. 

The new proposal for an arts and culture hub is set to include carnival float and costume workshops covering an area 6,246sq.m, 18 rock band studios, dance rehearsal studios, an indoor theatre with 380 seats, an outdoor theatre with 940 seats, a 5D cinema with 616 seats, a museum dedicated to the performance arts, an indoor cafeteria with outdoor spaces and administrative offices. 

The new building lies within the Albertown Industrial Area opposite the abattoir and in close vicinity to the the Pixkerija fish market and the Marsa Open Centre. 

Set over five floors and rising to a maximum 22m, the project will have a Gross Floor Area (GFA) of approximately 77,200sq.m and a built footprint of approximately 19,215sq.m.  

A carnival village was already approved on the same site in 2016 but works never started. Carnival enthusiasts have long been promised a facility where they could build their floats. 

Compared to the 2016 proposal the total gross floor area of the project will increase from 26,970sq.m to 77,200 sq.m, while the built footprint will decrease from 19,215sq.m to 13,010sq.m. 

The increased massing of the project on a reduced footprint is possible because of an increase in building height from 12m to 16.6m on Triq il-Biċċerija and 21.7m on Triq Troubridge. 

The project will also include 310 parking spaces. It is estimated that the project will generate an average of 973 daily vehicle trips. PV panels on the roof are expected to cover the energy demand of the facilities being proposed.