Glass, concrete and copper visitors' centre for Ġgantija

Architect Robert Sant has won a contest for a design to enhance the visitor experience at Ġgantija Heritage Park.

Made of recycled U-shaped pieces of glass, precast concrete and perforated copper, Mr Sant's design fought off 11 other submissions, which included two foreign entries and two others involving a joint venture between Maltese and foreign consultants for the honour of guarding one of the world's oldest free-standing structures.

Heritage Malta said the designs by Alex Torpiano (TBA Periti) and Martin Xuereb (Martin Xuereb & Associates and Politecnica Soc. Coop. - Firenze) were runners-up.

The design contest forms part of the €9.2 million archaeological conservation project, 85 per cent of which is co-financed through the European Regional Development Fund. The programme includes work on three sites: Tarxien Temples, St Paul's Catacombs in Rabat and the Ġgantija Heritage Park.

The 12 entries will be on display at the Ministry for Gozo in St Francis Square, Victoria. The exhibition will be opened on Wednesday and will run until January 12.

The submissions will then be exhibited at Heritage Malta's head office in Merchants Street, Valletta, between January 18 and February 21.