WEAVING TIRANA - the crossroad between east and west

BREATHING TIRANA The crossroad between east and west

Tirana is the capital of Albania, located in the South-east of Europe.

With 895.160 citizens is now considered the largest city of the State, thanks to its extended territory.

But at the beginning the situation was totally different, the city has always been considered as a Project and for this, over the years Tirana saw several international competitions that led it to change and play the role of the green city of the future:

HISTORIC TIME - LINE 1912-1938

1938-1945

INDIPENDENCE FROM OTTOMANS • Brasini main axis plan • Orizontal unorganized growth of the city • Tirana as ‘Believer Community’

1945-1990

ITALIAN OCCUPATION • Migration to the center of the city from the interland • First organized urban plan

1991-2003

COMMUNIST DICTATURE (ENVER HOXHA) • Soviet influence in both housing and urban planning • Destruction of all religions issue

2004-2015

TIRANA EXPANSION • Rapid growth of the city • Requalification of housing • Loss of identity of the city

2015-2030

‘EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF THE FUTURE’

TIRANA AS A GREEN CITY (STEFANO BOERI)

• Research of a new Identity • Vertical organized growth of the city

• New sustainable urban plan • Costruction of modern building

“In a exhausting run, Tirana has overturned its balances and it has negotiated its own identity, it has changed from the capital city of the poorest country in Europe in 1985 to the European capital city of the future in 2010: hurrying, hurrying breathlessly, with no time to metabolize, understand or take things in”.

TIRANA ‘BELIEVER COMMUNITY’ ‘AGGREGATION AREAS’ MONTENEGRO

KOSOVO

TIRANA

MACEDONIA

ALBANIA

ITALY

GREECE

DEMOGRAPHIC URBAN GROWTH Legend: Main axis

1912 - 1938

Monument B.I.G. project Mosquees

1939 - 1945

Churches Plaza

1946 - 1990

1991 - 2015

RELIGION IN ALBANIA During the years, the State of Albania was the subject of many occupations by differents countries and dictatures.

All the occupations brought inside the State their cultures and their traditions, including religions.

PERCENTAGE OF RELIGIOUS PRESENCE MUSLIM

CATHOLICS

ORTHODOX

ATHEISTS

DEFINITION OF ‘SACRED PLACE’

Legend:

“the Sacred Place is the one where a person, thanks to the place itself, is able to connect with higher dimensions of himself, he is able to feel the deep connection with Nature, with everything that the Universe includes.

In a Sacred Place, fear disappears, the world is perceived as good, one feels at one with the others.

Crossing the door, even in metaphorical terms, of such a place actually means crossing a new dimension of oneself.”

Muslim Catholics Orthodox Atheists

COMMUNITY

SQUARE

PROTECTION

WATER

DEVOTION

VEGETATION

(Meeting place for Faithfull)

(Acceptance)

(Metaphorical fences)

(Purity)

(Opening towards the sky and divinities)

(Creation)

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

WEAVING TIRANA: THE CROSSROAD BETWEEN EAST AND WEST

School of Architecture Urban Planning Costruction Enginering, A.A. 2019-2020 Master of Sustainable Architecture and Landascape Design

Students: Albertazzi Marta (918792), Grilli Alberto (926270), Janka Rimi (918801) Supervisor: Gozzi Gio, Co-Supervisor: Pessoa Alves Pereira Henrique

GENERAL INFORMATION Scale 1: 30.000

1

WATER AND VEGETATION SYSTEM

TOPOGRAPHY IN ALBANIA Going from the coast to the hinterland the state of Albania has mountain ranges that reach a maximum of 3000 m above the sea.

Tirana, 300 km from the sea, has a flat level in the city but going eastwards, mountains of a maximum of 2000 m begin to rise, including Mount Dajt.

MONTENEGRO KOSOVO

Legend WATER SYSTEM

ADRIATIC SEA MACEDONIA

Water bodies Monument to Enver Hoxha

GREEN SYSTEM Protected forest Wild lawns Forest GREECE

Vacant Land Agricolture River bed

IONIAN SEA

Urban parks

Legend > 2000 m

600 - 1000 m

1600 - 2000 m

200 - 600 m

100o - 1600 m

0 - 200 m

Monument to Enver Hoxha

PROTECTED AREAS Albania is also characterized by protected natural areas and in particular in the city of Tirana it is possible to find the Dajti Mountain National Park and one of the Protected Landscape, called Mali me Gropa-Bize-Matanesh

MONTENEGRO KOSOVO

ADRIATIC SEA MACEDONIA

In Albania, and in particular in Tirana, there are different typologies of environmental systems.

If in the adjacent areas to the city there is the presence of protected forest, agriculture filds and vacant land, in the urban center it can be found wild lawns, the river bed and urban parks.

All of this systems are characterized by different typologies of plants, according also to the position of the city of Tirana inside the state of Albania.

Tirana is subject to a mediterranean climate, but being inland, it will differ in temperatures from a coastal city.

INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEM GREECE

Legend National Park

Zones Managed Resources

Protected Landscape

Strict Nature Reserve

KOSOV O

O ZZ RA DU

IONIAN SEA

Managed Nature Reserve

HIGHWAY SYSTEM As shown in the figure, the motorway system within the State is very limited.

In fact, many of the infrastructures connecting the main cities of Albania (Tirana, Vlore, Durres and ) have only been proposed and not yet built.

This lack of connections is due to the topography and the presence on the territory of forests and the various protected areas previously analysed.

Legend INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEM MONTENEGRO

D UR AZZ O

DAJTI M. N. PARK

Territorial Connection Principal Urban Road

KOSOVO

Secondary Urban Road Rail Line Urban Road in Progress

ADRIATIC SEA MACEDONIA

Monument to Enver Hoxha

BICYCLE PATH Existing Bike Path Bike Path in Progress Proposed Bike Path Monument to Enver Hoxha

Motorway proposed

Motorway U/C

Dual carriageway

O D.

Motorway planned

KA VA J

Motorway in service

F

Legend

D. O

IONIAN SEA

F

N SA BA EL

Tirana is a highly trafficked city, due to the presence of many main roads connecting to neighboring places.

One of the most important is the central axis that divides the city vertically and it’s the connection between the two central plazas of the city.

Bike-paths are mainly located on the street near the centre, but most of them are still in progress or only proposed.

E

GREECE

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

WEAVING TIRANA: THE CROSSROAD BETWEEN EAST AND WEST

School of Architecture Urban Planning Costruction Enginering, A.A. 2019-2020 Master of Sustainable Architecture and Landascape Design

Students: Albertazzi Marta (918792), Grilli Alberto (926270), Janka Rimi (918801) Supervisor: Gozzi Gio, Co-Supervisor: Pessoa Alves Pereira Henrique

TERRITORIAL READING Scale 1: 40.000

2

PROCESS

FRAGMENTATION

VEGETATION AND WATER SYSTEM STRATEGY

INCLUSION OF NATURE

1: 100.000

ECO-STRATEGY

Legend Small ecosystem

Permeability thrugh the river-front

Great ecosystem

Future connections to strenghten

River ecosystem

Green Corridor

River Lana Source

Monument to Enver Hoxha

Afterwards the reading of the territory and the idendification of fragmented areas, an attempt is made to increase the environmental system.

Through the design of green corridor, parks and the requalification of the river-front, the aim is to connect all the isolated areas into a single ecolgical ring.

In this way forests and parks around Tirana will connected with those one inside the city.

The main axis as the main green corridor will link all the small urban parks along it with the Gran Park of the city, and through the requalification of the river Lana, they bring the ecological system inside the city, ensuring more green space for their use, rather than the presence of large infrastructures.

CONNECTION

INFRASTRUCTURE STRATEGY

CRITICAL NODES

1

5

RIORGANIZATION 1: 100.000

4

Legend Territorial Connection

New connection

Urban grown into Nature

Principal road

Critical street

Disconnection

Secondary road

New Pedestrian Buolevard

Road block

Rail way

2

Critical Nodes

3 By overlapping the green strategy with the existing infrastructures, critical points were highlighted both along the territorial connections and in the city center along the Lana river.

These infrastructures hinder the connection of different fragmented green areas or cause urban growth towards natural areas.

To solve these problems, it’s thought actions aimed at promoting green permeability towards the city, and, at the same time, at blocking urban growth towards naturalistic spaces.

Afterwards the reading of the territory and the idendification of fragmented areas, an attempt is made to increase the environmental system.

Through the design of green corridor, parks and the requalification of the river-front, the aim is to connect all the isolated areas into a single ecolgical ring.

The aim of the strategy is not only to open the city towards nature, but also to close nature towards urban expansion and for all these reasons, it is necessary to change the existing infrastructural system, thus changing the subdivision of the city into rings.

GOALS 1. GREEN CORRIDOR

2. URBAN EXTENSION BLOCK

3. GREEN CONNECTION

4. PERMEABLE RIVER FRONT

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

WEAVING TIRANA: THE CROSSROAD BETWEEN EAST AND WEST

School of Architecture Urban Planning Costruction Enginering, A.A. 2019-2020 Master of Sustainable Architecture and Landascape Design

Students: Albertazzi Marta (918792), Grilli Alberto (926270), Janka Rimi (918801) Supervisor: Gozzi Gio, Co-Supervisor: Pessoa Alves Pereira Henrique

5. ADD OF GREEN ELEMENTS

TERRITORIAL STRATEGY Scale 1: 50.000

3

II RING FOCUS POSITION

GREEN AND WATER SYSTEM ANALYSIS Legend Green areas of interest Boulevard River Lana Water bodies

SECTION B-B’ Within the center of Tirana it is possible to find three types of green areas: equipped urban parks, a green corridor along the Lana river and the Grand park.

All these three elements are part of the large-scale strategy, which consists in joining all the green part around the city in an unique green system.

In particular it focuses on the central axis which would act as a link between the Grand park and the park north of Tirana.

This vertical connection is intersected by the presence of the River Lana, which divides the city from north to south due to its unusable green banks.

B

2

EXISTING VEHICLE VIABILITY

B’

ARK P ND 2. R IV E

ARK P ID M

3. G RA

1. P YR A

1

R

NT O FR

3

PEDESTRIAN DEDICATED AREA

INFRASTRUCTURE AND FUNCTION ANALYSIS

Legend Parking Area Square

SECTION A-A’

Territorial Connection

The center of Tirana presents, along the central axis, various functions, not only institutional and administrative but also cultural and artistic.

Despite this and the presence of many green areas, this area remains in favor of vehicles. In fact, thanks to the presence of connecting roads with four lanes in each direction of travel, there are few crossing points for pedestrian.

These roads and in particular the main axis therefore represent a major obstacle to overcome.

The same is true for the Lana river, whose banks are represented by a green corridor that cannot be used by citizens.

This situation is aggravated by the presence of other main roads along the river, making it possible to cross it only through bridges.

II RING CONCEPTUAL DIAGRAM

Principal Road Secondary Road

1

Pedestrian Path Municipality Library Art Gallery Churches Mosquees University Court Funtain Artefact

SQUARE BEG R DE 2. M A

1. S KA N

Theater

ERESA SQUARE T E DR

A

A’

2 Legend Principal Junction

Disorganized Areas

Secondary Junction

Plazas

Organizeed Areas

Landmark

Organizeed center Areas

Churches/ Mosquues

Isolated Area Forest

Pyramid of Enver Hoxha

Secondary landmarks Main road Main limits-raod Secondary raods Center limit Main Axis River Lana

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

WEAVING TIRANA: THE CROSSROAD BETWEEN EAST AND WEST

School of Architecture Urban Planning Costruction Enginering, A.A. 2019-2020 Master of Sustainable Architecture and Landascape Design

Students: Albertazzi Marta (918792), Grilli Alberto (926270), Janka Rimi (918801) Supervisor: Gozzi Gio, Co-Supervisor: Pessoa Alves Pereira Henrique

FIRST APPROACH Scale 1: 10.000

4

GREEN AND WATER SYSTEM STRATEGY

III RING FOCUS POSITION

Legend Green areas of interest Boulevard River Lana River-front connection Water bodies

Legend

SECTION B-B’

Park Square Green Connection Lana river

SEO UL

Zoom Area

B B’

JA JUBL NA L S GE

MEMORIAL N MU UA H C

UM SE

WE N

3B RID

RIVER FRONT PERMEABILITY

FRONT R VE I R

AXIS TRANSFORMATION

INFRASTRUCTURE STRATEGY

Legend Territorial connection Principal street Dedicated viability Free public space Pedestrian path Pedestrian river front Pedestrian boulevards Parking Areas River Lana

SECTION A-A’

CLUSTER DIAGRAM U ST E R

P O LI

REL

TIR AN

Skanderbeg Square

IG

A

- BOERI 0 3 20

TIR

CL

TI

C

A N A

H PARK FAIT A

A’

IO US

C LU ST E

Pyramide Square ST E

R

C U LT U R

AL

C

R

LU

Mother Teresa Square

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

WEAVING TIRANA: THE CROSSROAD BETWEEN EAST AND WEST

School of Architecture Urban Planning Costruction Enginering, A.A. 2019-2020 Master of Sustainable Architecture and Landascape Design

Students: Albertazzi Marta (918792), Grilli Alberto (926270), Janka Rimi (918801) Supervisor: Gozzi Gio, Co-Supervisor: Pessoa Alves Pereira Henrique

MEDIUM SCALE STRATEGY Scale 1: 10.000

5

.4

SECTION 1: Axis and river node + Pyramid

.1

.3

SECTION 3: River waterfront sample situaton

SECTION 4: Central axis desing sample situation

.2

SECTION 2: Mother Theresa Square node

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

WEAVING TIRANA: THE CROSSROAD BETWEEN EAST AND WEST

School of Architecture Urban Planning Costruction Enginering, A.A. 2020-2021 Master of Sustainable Architecture and Landascape Design

Students: Albertazzi Marta (918792), Grilli Alberto (926270), Janka Rimi (918801) Supervisor: Gozzi Gio, Co-Supervisor: Pessoa Alves Pereira Henrique

MASTERPLAN Scale 1: 3.000

6

2

Existing situation

Green Invasion

Lowering of the sqare

Water reflection

1

1

Result

2

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

WEAVING TIRANA: THE CROSSROAD BETWEEN EAST AND WEST

School of Architecture Urban Planning Costruction Enginering, A.A. 2019-2020 Master of Sustainable Architecture and Landascape Design

Students: Albertazzi Marta (918792), Grilli Alberto (926270), Janka Rimi (918801) Supervisor: Gozzi Gio, Co-Supervisor: Pessoa Alves Pereira Henrique

MOTHER TERESA SQUARE Scale 1: 500

7

UNDERGROUND PARKING PLAN

Ending point

Starting point

SECTION 1

SECTION 2

Result

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

WEAVING TIRANA: THE CROSSROAD BETWEEN EAST AND WEST

School of Architecture Urban Planning Costruction Enginering, A.A. 2019-2020 Master of Sustainable Architecture and Landascape Design

Students: Albertazzi Marta (918792), Grilli Alberto (926270), Janka Rimi (918801) Supervisor: Gozzi Gio, Co-Supervisor: Pessoa Alves Pereira Henrique

MOTHER TERESA SQUARE Scale 1: 500

8

3

1 Existing situation

Movement

Nodes and perforation

2

2

Areas division

1

3

Result

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

WEAVING TIRANA: THE CROSSROAD BETWEEN EAST AND WEST

School of Architecture Urban Planning Costruction Enginering, A.A. 2019-2020 Master of Sustainable Architecture and Landascape Design

Students: Albertazzi Marta (918792), Grilli Alberto (926270), Janka Rimi (918801) Supervisor: Gozzi Gio, Co-Supervisor: Pessoa Alves Pereira Henrique

PYRAMID NODE Scale 1: 500

9

SECTION 1

SECTION 2

SECTION 3

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

WEAVING TIRANA: THE CROSSROAD BETWEEN EAST AND WEST

School of Architecture Urban Planning Costruction Enginering, A.A. 2019-2020 Master of Sustainable Architecture and Landascape Design

Students: Albertazzi Marta (918792), Grilli Alberto (926270), Janka Rimi (918801) Supervisor: Gozzi Gio, Co-Supervisor: Pessoa Alves Pereira Henrique

PYRAMID NODE Scale 1: 500

10

Existing situation (Zoom 1)

ZOOM 1

Bluring the borders

Result

RIVER SECTION VIEW

Existing situation (Zoom 2)

Mooving the borders ZOOM 2

Result

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

WEAVING TIRANA: THE CROSSROAD BETWEEN EAST AND WEST

School of Architecture Urban Planning Costruction Enginering, A.A. 2019-2020 Master of Sustainable Architecture and Landascape Design

Students: Albertazzi Marta (918792), Grilli Alberto (926270), Janka Rimi (918801) Supervisor: Gozzi Gio, Co-Supervisor: Pessoa Alves Pereira Henrique

DESIGN SOLUTION FOCUS Scale 1: 100

11

Composition

Concept Follow the eagle in the shape

Windows

Follow the sunshine In the front

Follow the mountain in the back

Shell

Building Pictures

Walls

The Pyramid from above that it goes in harmony with the form of Dajti Mountain

A photo was taken under the regime

Hoxha’s statue in the center of the Pyramid

P +13,2 m

P +9,6 m

P +5,4 m

P +0,0 m

P -1,65 m (technical area)

P - 4,65 m

Pyramid of Tirana - frontal view

Structure

Floors

Outside area

FUNCTION Meeting room Functional rooms Administrative rooms Toilets Storages Library

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

WEAVING TIRANA: THE CROSSROAD BETWEEN EAST AND WEST

School of Architecture Urban Planning Costruction Enginering, A.A. 2019-2020 Master of Sustainable Architecture and Landascape Design

Students: Albertazzi Marta (918792), Grilli Alberto (926270), Janka Rimi (918801) Supervisor: Gozzi Gio, Co-Supervisor: Pessoa Alves Pereira Henrique

ORIGINAL PROJECT

12

PYRAMID EVOLUTION

CIRCULATION

Clean up the exterior

P 13,2 m

RENDER

P 13,2 m

Total view from the roof

Subtraction in the slabs P +9,6 m

Internal view - P +13,2m

P +5,4 m

External view - P +5,4m

Open the central part and add vegetation

P +0,0 m

Internal garden - P 0m

P -4,65 m

Reuse the underground rooms FUNCTION Video room Museum rooms Administrative room Video room - P -4,65m

New Green area Tour Path Passing path Point of view

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

WEAVING TIRANA: THE CROSSROAD BETWEEN EAST AND WEST

School of Architecture Urban Planning Costruction Enginering, A.A. 2019-2020 Master of Sustainable Architecture and Landascape Design

Students: Albertazzi Marta (918792), Grilli Alberto (926270), Janka Rimi (918801) Supervisor: Gozzi Gio, Co-Supervisor: Pessoa Alves Pereira Henrique

NEW PROJECT

13