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Over 90 entities register for
Mnajdra, Hagar Qim Heritage Park
The Ministry for Youth and the Arts has received over
90 registrations from various architects, teams and agencies interested
in taking part in the International Competition for the design of the
Mnajdra and Hagar Qim Heritage Park, after being launched on November
22, the Ministry said yesterday.
The larger part of these registrations came mainly from Europe but there
were others from Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and the Americas.
These architects or teams of specialists, in the next week will be receiving
a package containing the Brief including all the necessary information
regarding the site.
There were also a series of questions and queries since the launch regarding
the competition parameters, the site in question and details on Brief
content. Around 50 queries and questions were addressed to the Technical
and Professional advisor responsible for the competition procedures.
The website of the Ministry for Youth and the Arts, www.mya.gov.mt has
been updated to respond to the various queries.
The aim behind the International Competition is to attract the utmost
and best ideas from both local and international firms whilst fuelling
interest in the oldest free-standing monuments in the world and creating
a global awareness about the importance of their conservation.
The objectives and scope of the Mnajdra and Hagar Qim Heritage Park
make it a prime candidate to receive structural funding from the European
Union. The temples have a high cultural value and the project will enhance
the countrys efforts in presenting itself as an ideal destination
for cultural tourism.
The Ministry for Youth and the Arts has secured the support and assistance
of the Union International des Architectes in compiling the brief for
the international competition according to the regulations set by the
UIA itself and follows the provisions of the international recommendations
for competitions in architecture and urban planning adopted by the General
Conference of UNESCO on 27 November 1978.
The brief being sent to the registered competitors contains a section
on Site Issues - that is the rationale behind the project, site issues,
climate, site context, a statement of significance, World Heritage Values,
description of site, assets and context and a full evaluation of the
site both from an ecological, archaeological and historical level. This
section also refers to planning policies and protection levels in the
area.
Another section refers to Competition Regulations. This contains mostly
information regarding the process of the competition and apart from
quoting the dynamics of jury it refers to the type of assessment, eligibility,
parameters for disqualification and details of documents to be submitted.
In the section on Programme-Related Issues the design philosophy is
highlighted and reference is made to: design principles, project specifics
and area requirements.
The section on plans included in the Brief refers to alternative sites
for the visitors centre and the site for the visitor orientation
point, contour plan of the area, protected areas, general plan of the
site and access and a general map of the Maltese islands with orientation
of the site. In the addendum there is a full version of necessary planning
policies and local legislation.
The next stage of the competition will see the appointment of the Technical
Committee, which will co-ordinate the competition and must guarantee
that the competition runs smoothly and correctly.
The committee will see to all the aspects of the competition and its
main responsibility will be to study the subject of the competition
in-depth and to run it impeccably whilst complying with the rules laid
down in this document. It will also organise the meeting between the
competitors and the representatives of the promoter. A co-ordinator
will than be appointed to liase with and report to the Jury.
The deadline for the submission of the design projects is set for 26
March and the announcement of the winning project follows the jury meeting,
which will be held in April. An exhibition of the design projects will
follow.
Work on the project itself will be phased. The first of these phases
will see the development of a Visitors Centre and will start soon
after the competition stage is concluded and the Technical Committee
starts its work on the tendering process.
The later phases of the project will involve the development of a transport
system within the area of the Archaeological Park and the construction
of protective structures over the two temples.
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