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Creation of an Environmental Information Centre, Larnaca
Open architectural competition to design a new Environmental Information Centre and landscape at Larnaca’s Natura 2000 salt lakes, in Cyprus, funded under the THALIA programme.
Set within the striking landscape of the Larnaca Salt Lakes, a Natura 2000 protected area, the Municipality of Larnaca has launched an international competition for the creation of a new Environmental Information Centre. The project aspires to become both a gateway to the fragile ecosystem and a civic landmark, blending architecture, landscape and interpretation into a seamless experience. More than just a building, the centre will serve as a public interface with one of Cyprus’s most important ecological sites, offering visitors spaces for education, research, and community engagement while respecting the unique natural habitat.
The programme calls for the design of a new facility with exhibition, learning and support areas, alongside extensive landscape works and carefully sited small-scale interventions. The brief emphasises bioclimatic design, low energy strategies, and biodiversity protection, requiring a multidisciplinary team led by an architect and landscape architect. Beyond ecological sensitivity, the project aims to establish an enduring civic presence: a place where architecture mediates between urban edge and protected landscape, fostering awareness of the salt lakes’ cultural and environmental significance.
Location
Sector
Landscape / Conservation
Intervention
New Build
Website
Tender Portal
Tender Stage
Open design competition
Deadline
22 Dec 2025
Project Value/Scale
€2.6 million
Consultant Team
Architect (lead competitor)
Landscape Architect
Civil/Structural Engineer
Mechanical Engineer3
Electrical Engineer
Quantity Surveyor / Cost Consultant
Note: Consultants 1–5 must meet ETEK (Technical Chamber of Cyprus) registration/licensing requirements where applicable. Additional specialists may be required to deliver the scope (e.g., environmental/museology, acoustics, lighting, geotechnical, H&S), per the Terms of Reference.
Landscape Architect
Civil/Structural Engineer
Mechanical Engineer3
Electrical Engineer
Quantity Surveyor / Cost Consultant
Note: Consultants 1–5 must meet ETEK (Technical Chamber of Cyprus) registration/licensing requirements where applicable. Additional specialists may be required to deliver the scope (e.g., environmental/museology, acoustics, lighting, geotechnical, H&S), per the Terms of Reference.
Submission Criteria
1st Prize – €28k, 2nd Prize – €21k, 3rd Prize – €14k
Two commendations €5k each.
Services fee in the draft agreement is stated as €245,000 (excl. VAT), paid in staged percentages.
First prize acts as an advance on fees if appointed.
Entries judged to exceed the project budget by >10% are ineligible for first prize.
Deliverables:
Anonymity & coding:
– Five-digit reference code on all materials (no names)
Boards:
– Up to 8 landscape A1 boards with all drawings (plans, elevations, sections), diagrams, images etc.
– Specific board themes begin with Board 1: Central Idea & Site Plan 1:500 (Boards 2–8 titles set out in checklist)
– Design report (max 5 pages A4, ~1,500 words), ten printed copies
Digital submission (USB):
– Single PDF of all boards
– Area diagrams in DWG + PDF
– Design report PDF
– Budget forms Appendices 2A, 2B, 3 in Excel + PDF
Identity envelope (sealed inside the parcel):
– Completed Entry Form
– Beneficial Owners declaration
– All materials must be sealed in an opaque, unmarked white wrapper; delivery to Municipality of Larnaca, 38 Athinon, 6300 Larnaca