Urban Preservation of Durres city, case study: " Liria " square (original) (raw)

The preservation of the architectural heritage in Albania: the case study of the Dollma tekke (tomb) in Kruja

Changing Cities II - Spatial, Design, Landscape & Socio economic Dimensions, 2015

Abstract Albania has e pioneering and old tradition in the field of protection and preservation of the historic city centers. Since 1970 several cities were declared as museum cities and the buildings listed for protection under the preservation easement. Among these, a special role has the city of Kruja for its role in the national history and for the value of its center within the walls. Beside the period of transition, from the end of thedictatorship until today, there was aproblematic gap for the historical architectural heritage. The lack of financial investments and specialized operator, combined with the degradation of the buildings, created a significant damage in the heritage. Nowadays, the situation hasconsiderably changed for the better, even thoughthe lack of public investment is still present. In this context, the study is based on the reconsideration of the historical site and the constructed building in Kruja, Albania, by the State and Academia as a collaboration between the Institute of Cultural Monuments and Epoka University, aiming to raise awareness among young people and create new generations of architects capable of operating in the field of restoration and heritage management. Through the case study of the Dollma tekke in Kruja, this paper presents preservation methods for the architectural heritage, first of all the study and the relief of the historical buildings as a form of protection and the base for a project of restoration. Keywords: Albanian heritage;preservation; degradation; restoration;awareness.

Heritage of Planned Socialist Towns in Albania "Kombinati i Tekstileve Stalin" -Tirana

Herritage of Planned Socialist Towns in Albania, 2014

Processes such as design, construction, industrialization, de-industrialization, internal migration, external migration, life closely connected with the factory and the aim to emancipate the society by means of industrialization, gives to the planned socialist towns in Albania, a certain interest in terms of studies on urban design and sustainable development issues. In the last 20 years, on the way to the democratization of the country, a certain lack of interest has been inspired and felt on the built heritage, as part of a general cultural behaviour in confront of an unwanted past, characterized by a sort of "decomunization". Today, we are witness on a totally different situation that also needs a different approach, a more technical than political. The heritage of the planned socialist cities is various and complex. Acting on the basis of limited symbolic resources, actively construct and promote a "de-ideologiesed" image of a young, green town. It includes realization of projects of a great value, which putting aside the ideology and propaganda, are theoretically a good example for the contemporary society which has to leave to the past the bad taste of the old politics and direct herself to a more sustainable way of thinking, considering the city as a resource in itself, which has to be used in all the possible ways it offers.

New Paradigm of Preserving Cultural Heritage Values: Adaptive Reuse of the National Bank of Albania Building

The study examines the adaptive reuse and restoration project of the Bank of Albania building in Tirana, an Italian architecture heritage. Analysis of the intervention has more to do with the notion of dynamic change in the concept of preserving the architectural heritage. It analyzes how this change is managed specifically by architects who redesign these buildings that today are part of the Albanian architectural heritage. The paper provides some answers to the questions: Was the intervention necessary? Can we accept the interventions as a positive influence? How the architects have managed it? What is done to ensure the preservation of esthetics and cultural heritage values? In the end, is concluded that after having followed the way of respecting and preserving the inherent values of the building the project results were successful. The intervention that realizes the best use of the historic buildings sometimes is the only way to care properly and preserve the architectural heritage.

PALACES OF CULTURE: ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE OF THE COMMUNIST PERIOD IN ALBANIA

During the second half of the XX century Albania was a socialist country, which had influenced to its economical development, social and cultural life. Traces of this period can be seen today in urbanism and architecture of the country. The major development had occurred in the city centers, residential districts, and the most of the politically or culturally important buildings such as libraries, schools, banks, hospitals, municipality buildings and palaces of culture were constructed at that time. The palaces of Culture, as a typology, which was taken from Soviet Union, were supposed to generate social and cultural activities and became one of the most important buildings of the city. The study is focused on the architectural analysis of the palaces of culture in Tirana, Durres and Vlore. The aim of the work is to describe the architectural typology of the Palace of Culture, to distinguish the main principles of its spatial organization, to find similarities in the architectural design and in urban position of the buildings, to understand, how the specificity of the city had influenced to the building size, its functional program and design. The study is based on the site trips and the analysis of the archive drawings. The analysis of the three case studies is organized in several stages, starting from the comparison of the functional organization of the buildings, proceeding with the specific spaces, such as the concert hall and ending with the analysis of the architectural style of the building, its volumetrical composition, facade organization and materials. The three Palaces of Culture were constructed as the centres of social and cultural life of the cities, and even nowadays their initial meaning is preserved. The works gives an overview of the Palace of Culture building typology, and provides the set of the typical features, which can be adapted for the design of the building with similar functions.

Square rehabilitation and modernization on the inner city of Tirana

Piazze minori nel centro storico di Firenze - Atti del convegno internazionale, 2019

Urban space has always been subject to constant modification. Depreciation, degradation, changes in people’s needs, and particular politics, requires that city squares go through transformations. Rehabilitation and modernization have made it possible to establish continuity between city squares and their use by the community in space and time. In many cases, modernization has produced conflicting situations between the preservation of identity and collective memory of urban heritage and the demands of new functions or modernizations. Urban space has always been subject to constant modification. Depreciation, degradation, changes in people’s needs, and particular politics, requires that city squares go through transformations. Rehabilitation and modernization have made it possible to establish continuity between city squares and their use by the community in space and time. In many cases, modernization has produced conflicting situations between the preservation of identity and collective memory of urban heritage and the demands of new functions or modernizations. This article’s focus is the analyses of rehabilitation and modernization of public squares in the inner city Tirana. A descriptive study of the three cases Skanderbeg Square, Piazza Italia and Avni Rustemi Square rehabilitation project is realised.

An Architectonic Recovery Plan over the North-East Historical Sector of Tirana, Albania

2-nd ICAUD International Conference in Architecture and Urban Design, 2014

The first signs of historical settlements in Tirana date back to the year 1614. These settlements and their road system belong to the Ottoman city structure. Nowadays this historic north east area of Tirana consists of a conglomeration of buildings that date back to different historical periods. A good part of these dwellings are informal ones, which damage the morphology of the area. In this paper is considering a genuine historical basis to create an intervention model in this specific area of Tirana. The total surface of the area which is rigorously analyzed is 2.08 ha. Regulatory plans that will be considered for this analysis are: the regulatory plan of 1917, 1921, 1937, 1953, 1980, up to today (the existing situation of the city of Tirana). The whole area will be analyzed including the typical road system; the typical structure of the dwellings, and the typical morphology of the area. All dwellings will be filed, according to historical dating situation and the existing situation. Current local general (PPV) plan provides a radical intervention in this area which seriously damages historical heritage of the city of Tirana. This article aims and focuses to a territorial development model recovering it and not damaging it, (in contradiction with current regulatory plan). The new model will be clearly detailed (up to level plans). The city of Tirana needs historical heritage and historical identity. How can one damage such treasure which the time took care so much to create and preserve? Such allusions are to be spoken out loudly!

Urban Transformations of Totalitarian Space in Tirana Skanderbeg Square

Urban Transformations of Totalitarian Space in Tirana - Skanderbeg Square, 2019

The modern history of Albania has undergone through different epochs of totalitarian regimes, which have influenced in different ways the urban texture of the cities. Today there is an emergent need for Conservation and wise management of dissonant heritage of 20 th century. This study deals with the transformation of some of the main squares in Tirana in order to understand and evaluate the architectural aspects of totalitarian architecture, which in Albania consists in coexistence between Fascism and Communism. How did ideology affect their architecture, how did they affect the city and how they are managing the changes of their initial program and adapting in a transitory economy, are some of the questions that is dealt with. The city squares were the first, which were submitted to democratic changes, although they were constructed following a different political ideology. After over two decades of democracy, the totalitarian past is slowly fading in memory of the citizens. Cities try to reinvent their self's and adapt rapidly to the new circumstances often by ignoring the existing contexts, which during this period has been systematically alienated. In particular analyzing Scanderbeg Square architecture emerge facts that demonstrate that this alienation happened also in the totalitarian past that somehow has affected the present conditions.

Urban layers and historical footprints as a Cultural adequate housing right. Case study National Theater and Urban Villas of Tirana, Albania

International Conference on Business, Technology and Innovation Pristina, Kosovo , 2020

The purpose of this study is to reveal how the phenomenon of redevelopment is affecting the historical urban layers of the city of Tirana and especially the transformation of the city center. The National Theatre of Albania, built under Albanian monarchy, by the Italian company Patter Milano, the project was designed by Gulio Berte, the Italian architect. is part of this transformation, even though it faced a vibrant opposition, capable to have a repercussion in all the city and to other social movements connected to the right to housing. The demolition of the National Theatre opens many investigative questions, and on the future of the city, seriously affecting the nearby neighborhoods - nowadays under gentrification process. Through a mixed design of the urban layers, the research brings an explanatory methodology based on field observations and interviews. Results of the study show that the process of the city center transformation is causing social, economical, and cultural effects. During this redevelopment process, there have been lost important urban footprints by affecting the historical inhabitants and consequently the rights under adequate housing definition, such as tenure right and cultural adequacy.