Ark0218 en tirana

Aedas, Atelier Smitka, Brügger Architekten, Crossboundaries,
Dilekçi Architects, Fletcher Priest Architects, FRIIS & MOLTKE
02/2018
02/2018
Aedas,AtelierSmitka,BrüggerArchitekten,Crossboundaries,DilekçiArchitects,FletcherPriestArchitects,FRIIS&MOLTKE
Flexible design and the traditional look of brick don’t have to be a contradiction
in terms. This is being demonstrated by Paul Vandenbussche in a school exten-
sion project in the Belgian town of Londerzeel, which he has designed with Sto
brick slips. As StoBricks do not fulfil a structural function, they do not have to
be arranged horizontally in a bond formation, making flexible patterns and even
changes in direction a possibility. Vandenbussche’s decision to use two types of
slip with different surface textures and his selection of Verolith®
to set additio-
nal accents really bring the school building to life. And the architect has even
managed to include all of this in a highly efficient external wall insulation system.
For more detailed insights into the project and to find out all about watertight
connections, watch Paul Vandenbussche’s video at www.sto.com.
What’s behind StoBrick?
Architects like
Paul Vandenbussche,
who enjoys design
freedom with bricks.
Building with conscience.
The StoJournal for Architects
Building with conscience.

[83]
[Contents 02/2018]
Ad photo motif:
Dennis de Smet, Gent, BE
Art.-Nr. 09671-461 Rev.-Nr. 01/11.18
[Sketches]
[Network]
[Face to Face]
[Cross Section]
[Project Berlin]
[Project Jakarta]
[Project Naturns]
[Imprint/Samples]
[Structure]
[Technology]
[Playtime]
[Everyday Heroes]
[Views of the City]
[Index]
Hongling Middle School in Shenzhen Crossboundaries, Beijing, CN
Sto Foundation also to sponsor summer schools in 2019
Interior Scholarship 2018/2019
Kateřina Šedá UNES-CO (United Nations Real Life Organization), CZ
Folkart Hills residential complex in Çeşme Dilekçi Architects, Istanbul, TR
Commercial college in Thun Brügger Architekten, Thun, CH
Villa Troja in Prague Atelier Smitka s.r.o., Prague, CZ
Jongerius Complex in Utrecht Blauw Architecten, Utrecht, NL
‘Green Office en Seine’ office building in Meudon Reichen et Robert & Associés, Paris, FR
Stabilo Cube in Heroldsberg mvm+starke architekten PartG mbB, Cologne, DE
Residential building in Langenau Karin Müller, Langenau, DE
Renovation of the St. Michael church in Waldaschaff B3 Architekten, Aschaffenburg, DE
Office building in Neustadt an der Aisch raum3 Architekten und Stadtplaner mbB, Nuremberg, DE
Residential building in Rheinzabern Thomas Fabrinsky, Dipl.-Ing. Freier Architekt BDA, Karlsruhe, DE
City library in Rottenburg am Neckar Harris Kurrle Architekten, Stuttgart, DE
Østre Havn office building in Aalborg Friis og Moltke A/S, Aalborg, DK
One New Ludgate office building in London Fletcher Priest Architects, London, UK
Expansion of the Arndt Gymnasium AFF Architekten, Berlin, DE
Unilever Headquarters in Jakarta Aedas, Singapore, SG
Hotel Lindenhof Architekten Marx / Ladurner, Schlanders, IT
Structures in Chemistry by Prof. Dr. Eberhard Ehlers
StoSilco blue – strong against algae, free of biocidal film preservatives
Efficient insulation of new buildings
StoTherm Wood – sustainable insulation with wood fibre
Hubert Klumpner Urban Think Tank
Renovation of Roggendorf Castle in Pöggstall w30 Bauplanung & Innenarchitektur GmbH, Waidhofen an der Ybbs, AT
Renovation of the ‘Nus de la Trinitat’ apartment complex in Barcelona Oikosvia Arquitectura s.c.c.l., Barcelona, ES
Tirana – the city of colours! by Dr. Saimir Kristo
Interviews from Tirana with Jurtin Hajro, commonsense.studio and Ermal Bleta, Studio B&L
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One New Ludgate office
building in London, UK
p. 30
Architects:
Fletcher Priest Architects
Middlesex House
34/42 Cleveland Street
London W1T 4JE
United Kingdom
Tel. +44 20 70 34 22 00
www.fletcherpriest.com
Applicator:
Roskel Contracts Ltd
6 Oakington Business Park
Dry Drayton Road
Cambridge CB24 3DQ
United Kingdom
Tel. +44 1223 236773
www.roskel.co.uk
_____________________________________
Expansion of the Arndt
Gymnasium, DE
p. 32
Architects:
AFF Architekten
Hauptstraße 13
10317 Berlin
Deutschland
Tel. +49 30 27 59 29 20
www.aff-architekten.com
Applicator:
Atlas Baugesellschaft mbH
Wilhelminenhofstraße 83-85
12459 Berlin
Deutschland
Tel. +49 30 23 36 89 31
_____________________________________
Unilever Headquarters
in Jakarta, ID
p. 38
Architects:
Aedas
10 Hoe Chiang Road
1-01 Keppel Towers
Singapore 089315
Republik Singapura
Tel. +65 67 34 47 33
www.aedas.com
Applicator:
PT. Panutan Sejati
Jalan Puskesmas 29-47
RT.4/RW.3, Kalisari
Pasar Rebo, Kota Jakarta Timur
Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 13790
Indonesia
Tel. +62 21 87 70 51 38
www.pt-panutan-sejati.business.site/
_____________________________________
Hotel Lindenhof in Naturns, IT
p. 44
Architects:
Architekten Marx / Ladurner
Hauptstraße 132
39028 Silandro
Italia
Tel. +39 0473 66 84 66
www.stephanmarx.com
Applicator:
Bauservice srl
Via Luigi Negrelli 13/A
39100 Bolzano
Italia
Tel. +39 0471 192 04 02
www.bauservice.bz.it
_____________________________________
[Structure]
p. 52
Author:
Prof. Dr. Eberhard Ehlers
Lorsbacher Str. 54B
65719 Hofheim am Taunus
Deutschland
e.ehlers@t-online.de
_____________________________________
[Playtime]
p. 62
Architects:
ETH Zürich
Urban-Think Tank
Hubert Klumpner
Neunbrunnenstrasse 50
8093 Zürich
Schweiz, Suisse, Svizzera
Tel. +41 44 633 90 80
www.u-tt.com
_____________________________________
[Everyday Heroes]
Renovation of Roggendorf
Castle in Pöggstall, AT
p. 64
Architects:
w30 Bauplanung & Innenarchitektur GmbH
Hoher Markt 7
3340 Waidhofen an der Ybbs
Österreich
Tel. +43 7442 90 657
www.w30.at
Applicator:
THT Trockenbau GmbH
Hasendorf 46
3454 Sitzenberg-Reidling
Österreich
Tel. +43 22 76 20 01 4
www.tht-trockenbau.at
Maler Schmied GmbH
Austraße 1
3500 Krems
Österreich
Tel. +43 27 32 827 62 22
www.schmied-ag.at
_____________________________________
[Everyday Heroes]
Renovation of the ‘Nus de la
Trinitat’ apartment complex in
Barcelona, ES
p. 66
Architects:
Oikosvia Arquitectura s.c.c.l.
Carrer de Rocafort 45
08015 Barcelona
España
Tel. +34 934 23 18 17
blog.oikosvia.com
General contractor:
Constraula Enginyeria i Obres, S.A.U.
Carrer de Ramon Turró 148
08005 Barcelona
España
Tel. +34 93 225 05 06
www.constraula.com
Applicator:
Rehatec Façanes SA
Camí del Mig, 108 Parcel·la 47
Polígon Industrial Les Corts
08349 Barcelona
España
Tel. + 34 93 741 24 62
www.rehatec.net
_____________________________________
[Views of the City]
Tirana – the city of colours!
p. 68
Author:
Dr. Saimir Kristo
Deputy Dean - Faculty of Architecture Design
Universiteti POLIS
International School of Architecture and
Urban Development Policies
Rruga Bylis 12
Tiranë 1051
Republika e Shqipërisë
Tel. +355 672 076 667
saimir_kristo@universitetipolis.edu.al
www.universitetipolis.edu.al
_____________________________________
[Views of the City]
Interviews from Tirana, AL
p. 78
Architects:
commonsense.studio
Jurtin Hajro
Rruga Mihal Duri 52
Tiranë 1001
Tel. +355 4 56 29 586
www.commonsense.studio
Studio B&L
Ermal Bleta
Rruga Dora d‘Istria 10
Tiranë 1019
Tel. +355 4 22 42 846
www.arkitekt-bl.com
_____________________________________

[68]
City of contrasts: The colourful facades in Tirana were introduced by former mayor Edi Rama.
Photo:©AndreyShevchenko-Fotolia.com

[69]
The origin of the name
There are several hypotheses concerning the origin of the name.
One coming from the word “Theranda” that Greek and Latin sources
employ to refer to the area, after the term “te ranat” used by the
inhabitants, meaning “fallen material”. This is a reference to the com-
position of the terrain out of hard earth swept down by water from
the nearby mountains. It is from “Tirkan”, the name used by the sixth
century Byzantine historian Prokop to refer to a castle, first built in the
first century BC, on Mount Dajti, and the ruins of which are extant.
It is from “tyros”, the old Greek word for “dairy”, on the hypothesis
that it was in the field there that the shepherds of surrounding areas
gathered to trade dairy products. An often-repeated explanation is
that “Tirana” was so named by Sulejman Pasha, the Turkish military
leader at the time of Turkey’s conquest of Persia in the 17th century,
after Tehran, the capital of Persia (now Iran). Such a theory would,
however, seem to be contradicted by the evidence of Tirana’s name
in its current form appearing in a 1418 Venetian document. A further
“spin” on the Sulejman Pasha idea is that when he was at the loca-
tion of what became the city of which he is considered to have been
the founder, he came across an elderly woman who, when asked
what she was doing, replied, “Po tir an”: “spinning silk”.
History and urban evolution
Tirana is a city with an early history enriched by the interplay of cul-
tural forces originating in the Islamic and European Christian worlds.
Tirana started as an organic city in the early 17th century that has
since been shaped by the continuous interaction between spontane-
ous developments and planning decisions. It remained a small town,
until it was declared the capital of Albania in 1920. Starting from
the beginning of the 1920s, under the monarchy period, the first
attempts to move from spontaneous to organized urban planning
were initiated. Marin Barleti, a Catholic priest and scholar, who was
the first to write the history of Albania, tells us that in the 15th cen-
tury there were “Tirana e Madhe” and “Tirana e Vogël” (Great and
Small Tirana). Barleti, was largely responsible, through his biography,
for creating what became the cult of Gjergj Kastriot Skënderbeu
Tirana lies on the centre of the continental part of Albania, between the sea from the western
seaside and surrounded by the Dajti Mountain. As the capital of Albania, more than one third
of the Albanian population was located in Tirana, creating the urgent need for expansion and
new housing blocks to be built after the 1990s. Tirana, the city of colours, is trying to neglect
its romantic past by looking towards a metropolitan identity.
Tirana – the city of colours!
[Views of the city]

[70]
(Skanderbeg), an Albanian nobleman who, after being forcibly
brought to Adrianople as a young man and given military training,
distinguished himself in a number of campaigns for the Ottomans
and was promoted to the rank of general, but then returned to
Albania to liberate it, and spent the next 25 years until his death lead-
ing a successful guerilla resistance against the forces of the Turkish
empire. Skanderbeg continues to be the national hero of Albania.
On February 8, 1920 Tirana was made the temporary capital by the
Congress of Lushnja, and acquired that status permanently on 31
December, 1925. Since 1925, when they were banned in Turkey, Ti-
rana has been the primary centre in the world of the Bektashi, an or-
der of dervishes who take their name from Haji Bektash, a Sufi saint
of the 13th and 14th centuries placing the first marks of religious
balance in Albania. The first regulatory plan of the city was compiled
in 1923 by Estef Frashëri. Durrësi Street was opened in 1922. Many
houses and surrounding properties were demolished to make way for
it. The existing parliamentary building was built in 1924. It was there,
in September 1928, that Ahmet Zogu proclaimed the monarchy.
Later on, he initiated the development of the centre of Tirana with a
project from Florestano de Fausto and Armando Brasini, well-known
architects of the Mussolini period in Italy. The Palace of Brigades, the
ministries buildings, the National Bank and the Municipality are their
work. Building the Dëshmoret e Kombit (National Martyrs) Boulevard
in 1930 and naming it Zogu I Boulevard, which during the commu-
nist period, the area from Skanderbeg Square up to the train station
was named Stalin Boulevard. The Palace of Culture (Pallati I Kulturës),
where the Theatre of Opera and Ballet and the National Library
stand, was completed in 1963 with the first brick being placed by
Soviet president Nikita Hrushov in 1959. The Skanderbeg, from 1968,
is the work of the renowned Albanian sculptor Odhise Paskali. It
commemorated the 500th anniversary of the death of the national
hero. Across it is placed the National Historic Museum replacing the
former headquarters of the Municipality of Tirana, removing another
bit of Italian architecture from the centre of the city. The International
Tirana is located in the centre of the country surrounded by mountains and hills. Traces of Tirana’s communist past can still be found all over the city. Photo: © truba71 - Fotolia.com

[71]
Cultural Centre, formerly the Enver Hoxha Museum, was inaugurated
in 1988; it is popularly referred to as “the Pyramid”. After the decay
of the “socialist” project at the beginning of the 1990s was the origin
of a rapid and uncontrolled urbanization of Tirana. Massive events of
migration within the country towards the large urban centres resulted
in a reduction of public space, and the city expanded rapidly.
Tirana in the 2000s: “Take back the city with colour!”
When the eyes of the world last looked at Tirana (Albania) during
the Kosovo refugee crisis in 1999, the city had reached its nadir; a
decade of anarchic capitalism had followed 50 years of the authori-
tarian regime and the population grew from 200,000 to almost
800,000 with no sewage system or waste collection. In October
2000, Edi Rama, artist and former Minister of Culture of Albania
with the Socialist Party, ran for the job of Mayor of Tirana, and
won with a majority of 54 %. As the mayor of Tirana, Edi Rama
was facing a post-communist city with illegal buildings, high crime
levels, no public spaces and a grey atmosphere which dominated
the city: grey buildings, grey roads and therefore a grey mood
amongst its people. The decision to paint a whole city in bright
colours was one of the biggest risks that a mayor could take, but
as a painter, Rama was conscious about colour’s effects on peo-
ple and the psychology of this. He launched a series of measures
as part of an urban regeneration project to demonstrate to the
public that change was possible. An international competition
took place in Tirana in 2000 to repaint buildings in a riotous ar-
ray of colours and patterns. However, Tirana showed remarkable
changes in its urban life, manifested, for example, by the open-
ing of numerous cafes. The wider cultural and commercial offer-
ings as well as the increasing diversity have followed the changes
of the city. The centre of Tirana, from the central campus of the
Polytechnic University up to Skanderbeg Square, was declared
a protected area. In the same year, the area began a process of
restoration under the initiative called “Return to Identity”.
[Views of the city]

[72]
Projecting the NEW TIRANA through Beautification
Tirana Metropolis is another strategic vision for Tirana where the
city is seen as an archipelago: complementary centralities outside
the city centre. A parallel ring aims to give identity to the existing
sprawl tying together various urban patterns as well as monumen-
tal axes and natural features. Following a similar logic, “Durana” is
used as a tool to think about the metropolitan region on a bigger
scale: Tirana and Durres, the biggest harbour in Albania, as one city,
an eventual fusion of two cities in a new metropolis with a green
heart in between. That was a moment when a series of (unrealized
for the biggest part) competitions for developing high rise towers
mostly, but also the project for the redevelopment of Skanderbeg
Square won by Belgian studio 51N4E were organized addressing
Tirana’s master plan of 2003 developed by Architecture Studio from
Paris. However, some international competitions did get imple-
mented, such as a competition for two towers in the centre. The
first one was won by the Belgian studio 51N4E, the second was
won by Archea Studio from Italy. Following this period, the specula-
tion in urban development was quite high, increasing the number
of new apartment buildings in the city, while densifying the central
part of Tirana where the interest for new developments was higher
due to the high real estate value of the land, consequently sacrific-
ing the romantic view and presence that the Dajti mountain had
provided for the city since its origins. After that period, in a moment
where the interest to develop projects was lost due to the world
economic crisis which affected Albania in 2010, the attention of
the municipality shifted in giving a new dimension to the city: the
extension of the main Tirana Boulevard Competition. Important
international studios participated, including KCAP, Grimshaw Archi-
tects, West8, Cino Zucchi Architetti, Albert Speer and Partners, and
DAR Group. Grimshaw Architects won the competition. The project
area, impacted by the extension of the 3-kilometre boulevard and
the organization of a 7-kilometre riverside park, covers a fifth of the
overall area of the city, a project that is still under development.
The Toptani Shopping Centre (2017) by Dutch architects MVRDV forms part of the recent development of the Albanian capital Tirana. Photo: © Kj1595 / Wikimedia Commons

[73]
[Views of the city]
Landmarks at Skanderbeg Square: The TID Tower by 51N4E, the Clock Tower of Tirana, Et’hem Bey Mosque, ministries and Skanderbeg Monument Photo: © Sergii Figurnyi - Fotolia.com
The square: Skanderbeg Square
Skanderbeg Square was initially conceptualized in 1923 by Italian
architects Florestano Di Fausto and Armando Brasini, as a Roman
“isle”, inspired by the Italian Renaissance, which would “impose
dignity” and “radiate grandeur” (Sotir Dhamo, 2012). The boule-
vard was extending from south of the plaza, as a monumental
road lined with other government buildings of the emerging
capital. A French architect who visited Tirana at that time made the
following remark: “I saw a boulevard without a city!” (Besnik Aliaj,
Keida Lulo, and Genc Myftiu, “Tirana, the Challenge of Urban De-
velopment,” 2003) The period between the 1930s and 1940s was
characterized by the completion of a vision by the Italian govern-
ment. Italy was interested in extending its influence in the West-
ern Balkans and aimed to transform Tirana into a colonial urban
centre. Brasini’s masterplan for Tirana was not only addressing the
city centre, but also included new residential, military, and indus-
trial zones. During the authoritarian regime, Tirana’s Old Bazaar
and Orthodox Cathedral were demolished in order to construct
the Palace of Culture and the Tirana International Hotel in their
place, permanently erasing the oriental traces of the past. At the
beginning of the new millennium, Tirana’s former mayor Edi Rama
embarked on a plan to modernize and Europeanize Skanderbeg
Square, one of the city’s most important places. An international
competition was organized in 2008. Important international stu-
dios like Daniel Libeskind, New York, or MVRDV, Rotterdam, par-
ticipated. The competition was won by the up-and-coming Belgian
studio 51N4E, proposing a pyramid in the centre of the square (a
symbol of monumentality, an irony of the fiscal scandals of 1997
and a reflection on the ongoing deterioration of Enver Hoxha’s
Mausoleum). The implementation of works on site was suspended
for financial and political reasons while the project was finalized in
2016. Skanderbeg Square could be the best indicator of political
changes in Albanian history. It has been a tool of demonstration
for political statements and manifestations ever since.

[74]
Competing the Mountain
T.I.D. Tower is one of the elements that witness the few applica-
tions of the master plan for Tirana proposed in 2003 by the French
Architecture Studio as an ambitious attempt to reshape Tirana’s
skyline. The main program of the tower consists of housing, offices,
shopping and restaurant facilities that are located in the base of the
building. This monolith volume stands next to the Tomb of Kaplan
Pasha, a memorial for the founder of the city. That demonstrates the
artificial solution of positioning the towers inside Tirana’s City Centre,
shading the last physical pieces of the city’s historical centre. The
gesture that was originally done in order to harmonize the chaotic
silhouette of the city toward the crown of the mountain is now rede-
fining the human viewpoints by provoking the hierarchy and legibility
of the skyline through the openness of the tower towards the sky.
Religious Harmony and Bektashi Community
In 1967, during the authoritarian regime of Enver Hoxha, religious
practices were officially banned in Albania, making the country the
first and only constitutionally atheist state to ever exist. After the fall
of state communism, religious activities resumed in 1991. Albania is
a unique example of how Muslim, Orthodox, Catholic and other reli-
gious communities have coexisted in harmony for centuries. Tirana is
the headquarters of the Bektashi Order. This particular phenomenon
of religious harmony was also celebrated by Pope Francis in 2014,
having his first official visit outside of the Vatican to Albania perform-
ing a mass in the “Mother Teresa” Square named after the world-re-
nowned missionary of Albanian origin for her dedication to humanity.
The competition for boulevard extension
The competition served as a good public-professional “educa-
tional” event, and a democratic exercise in terms of final decision-
making. The final winning project by Grimshaw Architects medi-
ates between maximizing a real estate and infrastructure and
restoring public space. The implementation of such a project has
The Martyrs of the Nation Boulevard built by Italian architect Gherardo Bosio from 1939 to 1941, during the Italian occupation, with communist Twin Towers.
Photo:©ArneOlejnik/WikimediaCommons

[75]
already started and the core financing is already there. However, it
remains unfinished due to extreme politicizations of the public life
in Albania, not only the development of the boulevard itself but
also the areas adjacent to it could be a new driving force for the
development of the city by decentralizing the actual development
surrounded near the Skanderbeg Square.
The pyramid
The main characteristic of Tirana’s city centre is its monumentality,
representing the image of the rebirth of the country. Administra-
tive, institutional and cultural functions are concentrated along
the main boulevard. In 1985, a pyramid was built on an adjacent
square, today called Pyramid Square, in order to function as a
Mausoleum for the Albanian Dictator Enver Hoxha. After the fall
of the communist party, it became an exhibition and fair centre
while the square has often been occupied by different private
activities. A big discussion regarding the future of this monument
followed: Some wanted to change its function; some thought
it should be demolished and others decided that it should be
preserved. In 1992, the pyramid lost its function as a museum and
during the 90s became the National Cultural Centre, while the
square in front of it started to be perceived as a public space and
to be used by the citizens as well as becoming one of the main
tourist attractions. The pyramid’s position is important in terms of
creating a public gathering space, since the two boulevards next
to it are two of the main axes that contain most of the pedestrian
fluxes of the city. In addition, it stands close to some of the most
important buildings in the city centre like the Ministries and Tirana
University. In 2000, the building passed through a process of
renovations that never came to an end, and also an international
competition was held in 2007 in order to transform it into a centre
of visual arts. None of the proposals have been implemented.
In 2010, another competition was organized – won by Coop
Himmelb(l)au from Vienna, this time proposing the demolition of
[Views of the city]
The pyramid building in Tirana: The International Cultural Centre, formerly the Enver Hoxha Museum, built in 1988. Photo: © saiko3p - Fotolia.com

[76]
the pyramid and the creation of the new parliament of Tirana in
its place. This opened a public debate and many protests and peti-
tions happened in front of the building, cancelling the project and
keeping the pyramid alive. Lately, a new proposal for the pyramid
by MVRDV was presented intending to convert the former Mauso-
leum into a new centre for technology, art and culture.
Bunkers in Albania
Bunkers in Albania are the symbol of war made with the purpose
to shelter the army troops, leading to approximately 750 000
bunkers of different spatial typologies according to the geograph-
ical position and structural features that were built across the
country during the totalitarian regime in case of a future invasion
by enemies. Nowadays, Hoxha’s quarters are open to the public in
the form of the “Bunk Art” Museum. The bunker was built for Al-
bania’s political elite in the 1970s and remained a secret for much
of its existence. Now it hosts exhibitions that combine the modern
history of Albania with pieces of contemporary art. The project
shows a way of understanding and appreciating the potential mili-
tary heritage has to offer for future use, while creating a touristic
model that could be implemented all over the Albanian territory.
New era of city developments
With the arrival of Edi Rama as the Prime Minister of Albania, a
series of new initiatives to change the image of Tirana and also
other cities throughout Albania was presented as the project for
“Urban Rebirth”. All main squares of the cities were redesigned
trying to bring a new positive image for the inhabitants. In this
initiative, a series of regulatory plans were also developed for the
restructured 61 municipalities of the country. Boeri Architects,
UNLAB and IND proposed a new regulatory plan for Tirana with
an intention to further densify the city in order to almost double
its population during the next 15 years, while proposing an orbital
forest on the other side that would balance the relationship
Important buildings are situated on Mother Teresa Square including the University of Tirana (right) and the Archaeological Museum (left). Photo: © Sailko / Wikimedia Commons

[77]
between urban and natural. In this framework, the interest for
new developments and building permits has risen dramatically in
a city which is not able to provide adequate infrastructure to its
citizens in terms of mobility and public transportation. Neverthe-
less, the fact that small-scale interventions are implemented in
order to offer a more “European” image of Tirana means that
they are only noticeable in the centre and not in a city of almost
one million inhabitants. There is a risk of losing a considerable
amount of Tirana’s cultural heritage in architecture, in areas of
high interest, for the purpose of building new residential towers
in the name of profit, such as in the case of the National Theatre
of Albania located next to Skanderbeg Square.
Towards new models
After half a century of isolation and suppression by one of the
world’s harshest communist dictatorships, Albania has made
great efforts in opening up towards modernization and freedom.
[Views of the city]
Urban regeneration: Colourful facade of a building from communist times renovated in the centre of Tirana. Photo: © allasimacheva - Fotolia.com
Although the country faces many similar difficulties like its
neighbours, the way it deals with them is different. Political
change in Albania has always brought about new developments
in the urban sphere of its cities, with Tirana in focus as the
“heart of Albania”. A great example on how political authority
imposes its power in a tentative way to rewrite the history of
Albania, itself changing the image of the city. Looking for origi-
nal solutions in order to respond to its problems and to create
a new identity, Albania’s capital has become a place where ra-
tional and bizarre elements co-exist, generating an identity that
is not permanent but always about to change. A mosaic-like portrait
of Tirana – a city that provokes architects to dare more and at
the same time blocks them in front of its monumental ruins.
Tirana is definitely a place to visit due to the immense energy
of its people reflecting their deep Mediterranean and European
culture, inviting visitors to experience the Albanian culture in a
highly welcoming environment. by Dr. Saimir Kristo

[78]
What are the unique features
of Tirana as a city?
Jurtin Hajro: I would prefer staring at Tirana as an act of a play,
put in the scene. Where the actors enter the scene with the very
same lines to remember, face the audience, envision their contact
with people staring at them, forgetting all about the script and
recreating the whole scenario to the end. The play is applauded
for its inborn creativity, its energy transmitted to the public, and a
sincere revolt to the master. The scene will not change, the play
will, the actors will, the masters too, but the show will remain
the same, with the play never premiered. To my sense, present-
ness is the main feature of Tirana. It is on the ground floor level
where the city achieves its highest peak of human interaction. The
generous offer of each ground floor owner has contributed to the
forming of an ingenuous but sincere semi-public layer of the city.
The unprogrammed and spontaneous way all this transformation
has occurred is seen as an act of individual behaviourism affecting
urban transformation. Tirana could be sensed as a scene around
individuals, to be lived in and not to be analysed from a distance.
Ermal Bleta: Tirana lies among hills and mountains. Since I came
here as a student in the 1990s, I have felt charmed by how the
city is embedded in a background that seems to be enduringly
attending to it. We used to enjoy the sunset from the dormitory
window, whereas working overnight has given me the opportunity
to view dawns over the ridge of Dajti Mountain. Nowadays, the
city’s transformation has come to obscure the landscape’s prompt
visibility. Yet, move a bit towards suburbs and the landscape appears
close, although not in its former quality. It is a city of a rather
segmented urban history. Formed as a Balkan-Ottoman settlement,
in 1930–1940 it met modernity through the projects of Italian
architects, interrupted by the post-WWII regime. As the system
fell in the 1990s, the misuse of the territory replaced centralized
urbanism leading to dramatic loss of public space and speculative
construction. In recent decades, alterations of great urban impact
have been undertaken, marking another break with previous visions
for the city.
What does it mean for you to work
as an architect in Tirana?
Jurtin Hajro: The high individual participatory environment in
Tirana certainly has its own direct effects on professional estab-
lishments. How architecture as a practice has positioned itself in
between urban laws and community, and how it is strongly related
to human interaction, and sometimes finds itself toward chal-
lenges for new and fresh contexts to explore. This allows for fast
Ermal Bleta
Studio B&L
www.arkitekt-bl.com
“There is hope that the
new urban plan will
lead Tirana towards a
more liveable environ-
ment for its citizens.
But Tirana also needs
to tell its story.”
Jurtin Hajro
commonsense.studio
http://commonsense.studio
”...Tirana has a unique
feature, where people
have found ways to
de-monumentalize
top-down urban spaces
and contribute to the
making of places.“
commonsense.studio and Studio B&L
Interviews from Tirana

[79]
[Views of the City]
and pragmatic answers to the problem, pushing architects for
creative solutions. Still, most of the time architects wandering in
these vague settings suffer in the building process and the devel-
opment of their own know-how. In this metamorphotic way of
work, architects are obliged to adapt to the continuous change
of the rules. As an architect, it is important to me to be at the
same pace with the present-ness of the city. It is almost impera-
tive to acquire and approach each job as it is an independent
entity. In order to foresee the end of the process as a happy end
for both the client and the studio, I see it as very important to
develop unique methodologies.
Ermal Bleta: In the present Albanian context, living and work-
ing in Tirana offers more opportunities and poses harsher chal-
lenges. In a society with an unclear hierarchy of values, the work
of the architect grows difficult. Recently, the role of architecture
has come more into focus and international names have de-
signed spectacular buildings and public spaces. Many positive
elements that regard the process of the architectural project and
its quality are introduced, but the market is paradoxically be-
coming impervious and less accessible to local talents. I believe
that a serious issue is the total lack of critique and professional
discourse. Although what our office has built in the city so far
is little, we try hard to ensure that it takes place with discretion
and distinctly contributes to the improvement of space quality in
the city, of life and architecture itself.
What are your three favourite places
in Tirana and why?
Jurtin Hajro: Though being a city that has undergone many
authoritarian policies which have been determinant on urban
decision-making within the city, Tirana has a unique feature, where
people have found ways to de-monumentalize top-down urban
spaces and contribute to the making of places. In this transforma-
tion process, certain spaces or buildings have gained new values
for people. Skanderbeg Square, for example, has always kept its
monumentality in size and rhetoric. Left over, designed, turned
down and redesigned, even in the post-communist era. Organized
by the Tirana municipality throughout an international competi-
tion, won and implemented by 51N4E, Skanderbeg Square is one
of the most curated public spaces in the country. The Tirana pyra-
mid building was designed to celebrate the communist dictator.
Very recently, an intervention project by MVRDV has been made
official, creating big dilemmas on the future identity of one of
Albania’s most iconic modernist buildings. As a post-Ottoman city
born out of organic urban patterns, the city never lost its spirit on
the human-scale public areas. Small in scale, these neighbourhood
Strolling through the old neighbourhood of Tirana. Photo: © Studio B&L, Aldo Bonata

[80]
voids bear a vital fill inside, where the urban life takes its course in
the most naïve and original way.
Ermal Bleta: I like to walk through the remaining pieces of the old
neighbourhoods. Although changes are visible in most of them,
the atmosphere afforded by the small human scale retains distinct
fascination. “Mother Theresa” square is the place of my childhood
memories. In the early 90s, it teemed with students and young-
sters, which seemed to abate its solemnity. The square and the blv.
“Martyrs of the Nation” that start there are the most prominent
public spaces in Tirana. Any type of event, sporting or musical,
religious or protest, can take pride of place here. It is defined by
three buildings designed by Gherardo Bosio: the Polytechnic Uni-
versity, the Archaeological Museum and Arts’ Academy. I still like
to observe these modernity pioneers and their architectural details.
In the south stands the Lake’s park, built during the ‘50s-‘60s that
remains a unique place of its kind. I live and work close to it and it
has become an essential part of my daily family life.
What challenges will Tirana
have to face in the future?
Jurtin Hajro: Tirana is already a city with a clear attitude and
a recently confirmed general local plan to achieve its goals as a
polycentric city with the aim of landscape recovery. The general
masterplan strategy proposed by Boeri Architects, UNLAB and IND
relies on the creation of urban voids to reintroduce public space, by
generating a new dialogue between nature and the city. As roman-
tic as it sounds, the city must challenge an urge to the pressure of
commercial development. In this new condition it is fundamental
that the city should draft a clear strategy to acknowledge its own
values that form its identity. Tirana’s citizens have shown that they
can endure political propaganda, activating their own little space,
by making a huge contribution to the city social life. By creating
mixed-use zones spread all over the city, they have shown resist-
ance to the forming of monofunctional districts.
Ermal Bleta: Neighbouring communes were recently merged
into the capital’s administration, thus increasing both challenges
and opportunities. Tirana needs to be transformed from a huge
dormitory to an ensemble of urban cells serviced equally well
with health, education, culture etc. The extension of the main
boulevard could be cautiously regarded as the chance to provide
the city with a new landmark. There is hope that the new urban
plan will lead Tirana towards a more liveable environment for its
citizens. But Tirana also needs to tell its story. Many interesting
buildings are being replaced by new constructions, while other
landmarks are being modified functionally and physically. I think
that life becomes more interesting and sustainable for all when
there are no missing layers. In this respect, the inadequacy of the
tangible history of its urbanity and architecture is probably a chal-
lenge that the city will face soon.
The Grand Park of Tirana, or the Park on the Artificial Lake, is a public park situated on the southern part of Tirana. Photo: © Kj1595 / Wikimedia Commons

[81]
Quote from Edi Rama, former mayor of Tirana,
artist and current Prime Minister of Albania
Photo: wikipedia.org/Albinfo
“Communism saw us living in the middle of a beautiful environment.
A total of only 5,000 cars existed in the entire country. Everyone
travelled by bus or bicycle. But it was exactly the type of beauty you
would also find in the park of a psychiatric institute. You never had
the feeling that it should all belong to you.“

[82]
[Sketches]
p. 4
Architects:
Crossboundaries
4 North Gongti Road, Bldg. 10
100027 Beijing
China
Tel. +86 10 64 01 25 53
www.crossboundaries.com
_____________________________________
[Face to Face]
p. 8
Kateřina Šedá
Střelnice 41
628 00 Brno-Líšeň
Česká Republika
Tel. +42 60 81 15 16 9
www.katerinaseda.cz
_____________________________________
Folkart Hills residential
complex in Çeşme, TR
p. 10
Architects:
Dilekçi Architects
Mahmut Cavuş Sokak 15
34460 Istinye/İstanbul
Türkiye
Tel. +90 212 277 11 50
www.dilekci.com
Landscape architecture:
DS Architecture
Kuloğlu Mah. Turnacıbaşı Cad. 9
34433 Beyoğlu/İstanbul
Türkiye
Tel. +90 212 245 57 12
www.dsmimarlik.com
Applicator:
Lamda Grup
Adalet Mah. Manas Bulvarı 47
Bayraklı 35000 İzmir
Türkiye
Tel. +90 252 316 83 21
www.lamdagrup.com
_____________________________________
Commercial college
in Thun, CH
p. 12
Architects:
Brügger Architekten AG
Scheibenstrasse 6
3600 Thun
Tel. +41 33 655 30 80
www.b-architekten.ch
Applicator:
Kilchherr AG
Burgerstrasse 3
3600 Thun
Tel. +41 33 225 12 00
www.kilchherr.ch
_____________________________________
Villa Troja in Prague, CZ
p. 14
Architects:
Atelier Smitka s.r.o.
Komornicka 12
16000 Praha 6
Česká Republika
Tel. +420 602 612 483
www.ateliersmitka.com
Applicator:
Podzimek a synové s.r.o.
Zbraslavská 32/2
15900 Praha 5
Česká Republika
Tel. +420 251 680 040 2
www.podzimek.cz
_____________________________________
Jongerius Complex
in Utrecht, NL
p. 15
Architects:
Blauw Architecten
Tweede Daalsedijk 6A
3551 Utrecht
Nederland
Tel. +31 30 785 40 29
www.blauw-architecten.nl
General contractor:
Heilijgers Bouw
Displayweg 2
3821 Amersfoort
Nederland
Tel. +31 33 454 57 00
www.heilijgers.nl
Applicator:
BGI Afbouw & Stucadoors Volendam
Edisonstraat 7
1131 Volendam
Nederland
Tel. +31 299 351 824
www.bgi.nl
_____________________________________
‘Green Office en Seine’ office
building in Meudon, FR
p. 16
Architects:
Reichen et Robert & Associés
17 rue Brezin
75014 Paris
France
Tel. +33 145 41 47 48
www.reichen-robert.fr
Applicator:
Castel Alu
24300 Lussas-et-Nontronneau
France
Tel. +33 562 67 46 06
www.castelalu.fayat.com
_____________________________________
Stabilo Cube
in Heroldsberg, DE
p. 18
Architects:
mvm+starke architekten PartG mbB
Moltkestraße 6
50674 Köln
Deutschland
Tel. +49 221 801 45 83
www.mvm-starke.de
Applicator:
FELLNER Bodensysteme
für Gewerbe und Industrie GmbH & Co. KG
Hermann-Kolb-Straße 35B
90475 Nürnberg
Deutschland
Tel. +49 911 98 46 48 0
www.fellner-bodensysteme.de
_____________________________________
Residential building in
Langenau, DE
p. 20
Architects:
Dipl.-Ing. Karin Müller
Im Kappenzipfel 6
89129 Langenau
Deutschland
Tel. +49 7345 23 57 145
info@architracks.de
Applicator:
H.-J. Epple GmbH
Im Riedle 12
89278 Nersingen
Deutschland
Tel. +49 73 08 96 320
www.epple-putz.de
_____________________________________
Renovation of the St. Michael
church in Waldaschaff, DE
p. 21
Architects:
B3 Architekten GbR
Karlstraße 12-14
63739 Aschaffenburg
Deutschland
Tel. +49 60 21 44 399 30
www.b3architekten.de
Applicator:
Senad Hamzic Trockenbau & Bausanierung
Luisenstr. 38
63067 Offenbach am Main
Deutschland
Fax +49 69 257 584 97
_____________________________________
Office building in
Neustadt an der Aisch, DE
p. 22
Architects:
raum3 Architekten und Stadtplaner mbB
Harrichstraße 16
90408 Nürnberg
Deutschland
Tel. +49 911 36 77 69 0
www.raum3.net
Applicator:
Karl Schmidt GmbH
Großharbach 3 + 5
91587 Adelshofen
Deutschland
Tel. +49 98 65 98 60-0
www.karl-schmidt-maler.de
_____________________________________
Residential building
in Rheinzabern, DE
p. 24
Architects:
Thomas Fabrinsky
Dipl.-Ing. Architekt BDA
Hirschstraße 89
76137 Karlsruhe
Deutschland
Tel. +49 721 46 47 09 0
www.fabrinsky.com
Applicator:
Roth Maler & Stukkateure GmbH
Wasgaustraße 2a
76870 Kandel
Deutschland
Tel. +49 72 75 34 02
www.roth-kandel.de
_____________________________________
City library
in Rottenburg am Neckar, DE
p. 26
Architects:
Harris Kurrle Architekten BDA
Partnerschaft mbB
Schottstraße 110
70192 Stuttgart
Deutschland
Tel. +49 711 62 00 80 80
www.harriskurrle.de
Applicator:
MDD Stuck GmbH
Lotzenäcker 20
72379 Hechingen
Deutschland
Tel. +49 7471 98 49 83
www.mdd-stuck.de
_____________________________________
Østre Havn office building
in Aalborg, DK
p. 28
Architects:
FRIIS & MOLTKE A/S
Strandvejen 20, 3. sal
9000 Aalborg
Danmark
Tel. +45 72 10 00 52
https://friis-moltke.dk
Applicator:
Carl Nielsen Facadepuds A/S
Kongensgade 43
9293 Kongerslev
Danmark
Tel. +45 98 33 18 22
www.cnfacadepuds.dk
_____________________________________
[Index]

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