Maltese architects have a chance to try their hand at designing a much-needed visitor centre – with a budget of €2.5 million – for the pre-historic Ġgantija temples in Gozo.

Heritage Malta yesterday launched a design competition for a heritage park, including an interpretation centre, for the pre-historic temples which date back to around 3,000 BC.

The initiative forms part of a larger conservation project which also includes St Paul’s Catacombs in Rabat and the Tarxien Temples. The three ancient structures will benefit from a total of €9.2 million which, among other things, will be spent on archaeological studies and conservation. A total of 85 per cent comes from the EU.

Ġgantija is made up of two temples built side by side enclosed within a single massive boundary wall. It attracts around 150,000 visitors a year.

Visitors have highlighted the need for an orientation centre to fully immerse themselves in the experience, Heritage Malta chairman Joe Said said.

Architects will have to come up with a design for an interpretation centre, an exit point that includes a souvenir shop and other basic amenities, the rehabilitation and landscaping of the Heritage Park and the restoration and reconstruction of 200 metres of rubble wall.

All the designs must respect and safeguard the temples and their setting, with minimal impact on the area, Mr Said said.

The winning design will be chosen by a panel of experts, including representatives of Unesco, Heritage Malta and the Chamber of Architects. The project is expected to start early next year and be completed by 2013.

“Through this project, we will give Ġgantija what it deserves as one of Malta’s most important sites,” Mr Said said.

With some of the €9.2 million in funding, the Tarxien temples will also be restored and a visitor’s centre will be built while for the first time, St Paul’s Catacombs will be measured and examined with an underground radar that will reveal every nook and cranny.

A virtual reality tour is also in the pipeline for visitors who suffer from claustrophobia, giving them a chance to experience the catacombs without walking through the narrow tunnels.

Although several studies are currently being carried out on all three sites, the major works are expected to start in 2011.

The deadline for the Ġgantija competition submissions is December 16 and the winner will be announced on December 19.