Piano's Valletta project may be extended

The Triton fountain will be encased in a huge new pedestrian piazza outside City Gate which will be accessed through a flight of wide steps, under plans by Renzo Piano currently being considered. Approaching Valletta from near the Christ the King monument in Floriana, pedestrians would climb steps that lead to the level of the fountain’s base. From there they would enjoy a view of Republic Street, framed by the new entrance. The project would not impact the 1959 fountain by Vincent Apap, which is currently undergoing restoration. The idea, will be discussed at a committee meeting in Parliament on Tuesday. It is a compromise on the original proposal to move the fountain, scrapped at the end of 2011 following a public outcry and because of prohibitive costs. Read the full story in The Sunday Times of Malta.