The competition stemmed from the initial proposal of the new Integrated Urban Plan for the Old City of Dures, approved by the relevant Albanian authorities on October 26, 2007, and promptly accepted by the city’s Mayor Vangjush Dako, and numerous other Albanian and Italian institutions that were among the sponsoring entities of the initiative.
The drafting of the Notice of Competition and the collection of the scientific tender documentation was the result of collective work, to which numerous Albanian and Italian scholars from national research and academic institutions made useful contributions.
Special thanks go in particular to Sara Santoro, director of the Italian Archaeological Mission in Durres, University of Chieti and Pescara, Adriana Giusti, Polytechnic University of Turin, Adriano Ciani, Italian Embassy in Tirana, and Sermet Bega, director of the Tirana Construction Archive, along with personalities from the Municipality and the Special Projects Office for the Old City of Durres, which with this competition inaugurates its activity.
Special thanks are addressed to Marin, Edi, Viktor, Luca, Alain, Jean, Rocco, Alberto, and in particular to Ina Xhakoni, a valuable collaborator of the Technical and Scientific Secretariat of the Competition, and again to Beatrice, Pietro, Isida, Maria Francesca, Antonella, Michaela, without whose help nothing would have been accomplished. Finally, a very special thank you goes to the Mayor of the city, Vangjush Dako, who believed in this adventure, resisting the sirens of the international ‘Archi star system, and to Adrian Cela, deputy mayor of the city, and my precious friend. Another step may have been taken in the new urban season of the city of Durres (P. R).
“This volume collects the images, preparatory studies and projects produced around the activity of the international Competition for the Revitalization of Liria Square in Dures. Promoted by NIARCH and the Forum of Adriatic and Ionian Cities, announced by the city’s Municipal Administration between July 2, 2008, and January 28, 2009, based on the rules of the new Integrated Urban Plan of the central area, approved in October 2007.
The Competition, organized in two phases, saw in the first phase wide international participation (36 participating projects); in the second, the development of five finalist projects also through participatory activities and seminars, which led to the selection of the winning project, which is currently being carried out. But the Competition, as a whole, was also an opportunity to gather around the theme of public space and, more generally, urban rehabilitation and revitalization, in Durres and Albania, after many years of neglect and indifference, a wide range of experts already engaged on the ground: archaeologists. urban planners, architects, and public administration technicians.
Proving that even in the turbulent Albania of transition to market economy and uncontrolled building development, it is possible to try to think about quality and urban liveability as foundational and shared values of a new urban season (R.P.).”
Members of the Jury:
Vangjush Dako, Mayor of Durres / Honorary President of the Jury.
Arch. Luca Zevi, INARCH (National Institute of Architecture, Rome (Italy)
Arch. Alain Cousseran, Landscape Architect, Paris (France) Alberto Monti, Archaeologist, University of Parma, Italy
Arch. Rocco Maragna, Landscape architect and urban planner, Toronto (Canada)
Eduard Muka, Artist, Academy of Fine Arts, Tirana (Albania)
Viktor Dhimiqi, Architect, Durres Association of Architects
Marin Biçoku, Department of Urban Policies, Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Telecommunications (MLPTT), Albania
Writings and contributions by:
Vangjush Dako, Mayor of Durres
Adrian Cela, Deputy Mayor of Durres
Isida Duka, Junior Planner, Durres, Albania
Masimo Luciani, Forum of Adriatic and Ionian Cities, Pescara, Italy
Rocco Maragna, architect, Toronto, Canada
Alberto Monti, archaeologist, Modena, Italy
Beatrice Fumarola, INARCH, Italy
Piero Rovigati, University of Chieti – Pescara, DART, Italy
Barbara Sassi, PhD, University of Parma
Sara Santoro, University of Chieti – Pescara, Italy
Luca Zevi, architect, INARCH, Rome, Italy
