Competing urban visions for the capital of Albania: international projects for Tirana city centre

Download
2008
Durmishi, Odeta
This thesis concentrates on urban regeneration as a strategy of urban transformation in general and in the context of post-communist countries in particular. The spatial transformations in cities resulted by the urban renewal and regeneration processes are currently under discussion in Albania. The present research is based on three pillars: a review of the urban transformation, renewal and regeneration in the West and in post-socialist cities in particular; exploring the historical formation and transformation of the Tirana city centre; and finally the regeneration of the city centre through a series of international competitions as a completely new model introduced by the municipality. The thesis focuses particularly on the international competition organized to obtain the master plan for the regeneration of the Tirana city centre; it compares the main concepts, ideas and features of the three shortlisted entries: Those of Architecture Studio, Mecanoo Arkitekten and Boles and Wilson. The winning master plan is evaluated with regard to the objectives of the regeneration, its integration with the existing built environment and open spaces, as well as the process of implementation. Within this framework, the thesis aims to study and evaluate this process to direct the urban development through a master plan competition completed by a series of urban design and architectural competitions. The process of regeneration of the centre of Tirana illustrates that despite the increased capacity of the citizens in Albania in participating in the decision making of the government, the public participation in the planning process was a difficult task despite the efforts of the Municipality. Yet, the enthusiasm that the new vision of Tirana brings is considerable.

Suggestions

Architecture and public dialogue : an evaluation of the role of architecture centers
Demirel, Buket; Erkılıç, Mualla; Department of Architecture (2005)
This thesis points out the transformation in the visions of architectural institutions about architecture-public dialogue, the interrelations of architect-client to architecture-the public, in a historical perspective. It states that architecture center as a phenomenon has been emerged with the transformation of the consideration of the functions of architectural institutions from merely guaranteeing competence and integrity to stimulating awareness, accessibility, participation and collaboration of both pr...
Becoming a neo-liberal city : Ankara north entrance urban transformation project
Gümüş, Nazlı Ayşe; Sargın, Güven Arif; Department of Architecture (2010)
Urban space has begun to be commodified to full extent by the affect of neoliberalism, which is bared upon free flow of capital over a global network of cities. By 1970’s, the phenomenon of globalization made social, political and economic relations all around the world to be redefined under these circumstances. While nation states were altering their role in favor of capital power, early centers of production have come to lose their attractiveness and functions, and in especially developed countries there ...
Production of space in the post earthquake region: three cases from Düzce
Demirel, Sinem; Sargın, Güven Arif; Department of Architecture (2005)
This thesis is about the processes and attitudes behind building production as it is about architecture as such, and it aims at understanding architecture̕s critical capacity and its relation to wider society. In this context, the differing attitudes and orientations in the construction of the residential environments in Düzce after the two unsettling earthquakes that took place in 1999 are believed to provide a study field, where the relationship between architecture and different economic, political and c...
The restoration project of Cin Kule in Payas, Antakya.
Işık, Bora; Gökce, Fuat; Restoration in Department of Architecture (2004)
The subject of this thesis is the restoration project of Cin Kule in Payas. The building is one of the unique examples of watch towers dating to 16th century -Classical Ottoman period.
Awarding architecture in Turkey: national architecture exhibition and awards program
Durmaz, Nur; Balamir, Aydan; Department of Architecture (2009)
The establishment of the National Architecture Exhibition and Awards (NAEA) program in 1987, by Chamber of Architects, coincides with the period of dissolving modernist paradigm and rising pluralist influences in Turkey. The program, as a critical medium, is expected to reflect “national” architectural practice and contribute in the “contemporary” architectural practice in Turkey. In order to evaluate the consistencies with these objectives, firstly the program identity and then the participations are analy...
Citation Formats
O. Durmishi, “Competing urban visions for the capital of Albania: international projects for Tirana city centre,” M.Arch. - Master of Architecture, Middle East Technical University, 2008.