Two big roofs were built to protect the 5000 years old megalithic ruins of the Hagar Qim und Mnajdra temples from environmental influences.

Three important preconditions had to be taken into account: The roofs needed to be removeable without visible effects, their design had to follow the astronomical alignment of the temples and they should offer an effective weather-protection.

The structure of the roofs consists of two center positioned, slightly inclined steel arches. Between the arches and the border cables a cablenet with membrane is spanned. The biaxial cablenets allow to form the arches without any additional stabilization cables.

formTL
structural design, membrane design, workshop drawings

architect
walter hunziker ag

steel
Mecoop

membrane manufacturer
Canobbio

cables
Teci

assembly
Montageservice SL

published
Revista espazio Magazine 12.2012

photos
Marco Ansaloni

covered area Hagar Qim
1.495 m²

covered area Mnajdra
2.460 m²

PFTE coated glass fibre fabric

Hagar Qim
Sheerfill II

Mnajdra
Sheerfill I