Unlimited Tirana(s) – New Dimensions
Author: PhD Researcher Sotir Dhamo
Affiliation: Polis University, Tirana Albania
Background
As many cities around the world Tirana is a multifaceted city. At the first glance one can catch the lack of continuity or incoherence of the urban text, but observing it more carefully this can be interpreted as diversity and richness of the urban contexts. This characteristic that can be equally found at the small and big scale (starting from architecture), and the absolute “freedom” of the built form (from any context), requires a degree of unconventional mindset to understand and to propose hypothesis for solution at different scales of urban hierarchy: architecture, city and metropolitan level. Despite these facts that make Tirana so different from many other western European cities, I will try to apply on this specific context some well known theoretical concepts. For the purpose of this paper, I will start by describing Tirana(s) and the main “pieces” the city is made of. I will count at least “5 Tirana(s)”, amongst which the study area. Further, the main characteristics of the study area, especially those considered as problematic, will be given in a positively re-framed version, trying to argue how these features can contribute to preserve the original character of the area. The all-inclusive approach is the underlying philosophy, so the recommendations given at the end try not to be deterministic and to leave an open framework.
References:
Berlage Institute (2004), Tirana Metropolis – Tirana: a modern European capital, research report under the guidance of Zenghelis, E.; Aureli, P.V. and Tirana Summer Academy park projects
Xaveer de Geyter Architects (2002) After Sprawl, research for contemporary city. NAI Publishers, Rotterdam; deSingel International Art Center, Antwerp
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Aymonino, C. (2000) Il significato della citta, by Marsilio Editori, Venezia
Venturi, R. (1977) Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture. Second edition, 1977; The Museum of Modern Art, New York
Rowe, C. and Koetter, F. (1978) Collage City. The MIT Press Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, England
Cullen, G. (1961) Introduction to townscape. In: Time-Saver Standards for Urban Design, Editors Watson, D. Plattus, A. Shibley, R.G. McGraw -Hill, credits: the article is reprinted from Townscape, Architectural Press, London 1961, with permission of the publisher
