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Manifesto

 “Aleksandër Moisiu” University in Durrës, one of the most prestigious and dynamic higher education institutions in Albania, stands today at a pivotal moment in its development. Conceived with a contemporary vision and an organizational model distinct within the national education landscape, the university has become an important center of academic and professional formation for thousands of youth across the country. 

As Albania accelerates its path toward European integration and the adoption of international standards across all sectors, higher education remains a cornerstone of this transformation. “Aleksandër Moisiu” University aspires to set a new standard for Albania’s public universities: integrated, inclusive, international, and innovative. This call for the creation of the expanded campus masterplan and the design of its required infrastructures marks the beginning of an ambitious modernization process that transcends the physical infrastructure. The University’s administration seeks to envision a new way of learning, co-living, and collaboration within an academic space. By structuring a design program that incorporates environments for study, research, housing, recreation, sports, and community coexistence, the university intends to create a vibrant ecosystem of knowledge and innovation. The campus should go beyond academics to become an integral part of the city’s identity and future. 

This ecosystem will also be characterized by functional and economic self-sufficiency, with spaces and services that not only support campus life but also generate income, create jobs, and offer open programs and functions for the community, strengthening the campus’s long-term sustainability. 

The University’s expanded infrastructure will support the development of the university’s educational and research capacities, positioning it not only as a center of learning but also as a driver of economic, technological, and urban development for the city of Durrës. The campus provides a new framework for student life, ensuring a contemporary university experience for all students, local and international. 

This is the vision of a university that belongs not only to the present, but also to the decades to come—a university that reflects the aspirations of a society that believes in knowledge as the only path to sustainable development, in integration and inclusion as the foundation of progress, and in transparency as the guarantee of academic quality. This is now an invitation to imagine a future that begins today, on the campus of “Aleksandër Moisiu” University, in the center of a growing Durrës, a city that will continue to play a vital role for Albania’s future. 

The expansion of the “Aleksandër Moisiu” University campus and the development of a new masterplan are not merely infrastructural needs. They represent a visionary project responding to the dynamic evolution of the city of Durrës and to national development goals. This masterplan is expected to encompass not only modern educational and research facilities but also spaces for business incubators, innovation labs, international cooperation hubs, and transitional zones that blur the line between the university and the city. In this way the University becomes an integrated part of the technology and innovation ecosystem of Albania, interconnected with the Durana Tech Park Innovation Hub.

At the same time, the program will integrate a host of complementary functions, such as multifunctional centers, cultural and sports facilities, student residences, and commerce, ensuring the long-term viability of the campus and its role not just as an urban node but as a city within a city. In doing so, the university becomes an integral part of the national and regional innovation ecosystem, contributing to the emergence of a new Durrës—a university city, vibrant and capable of attracting talent, investment, knowledge, and sustainable partnerships. The deep historical and cultural roots of Durrës, as Albania’s main coastal gateway and a long-standing urban center, combined with the university’s new role as a hub of knowledge and innovation, place the city in a unique position to lead Albania’s next wave of development.

Winner

 

 

 

FITUESI

TOKE BUKË

51N4E | JESHILE Landscape Design | Blerta Kambo

BOOKLET

Runners-up

Bjarke Ingels Group - BIG | Architevo Design Collective | Embrace Ideas | Kristo Krisiko | Rider Levett | Bucknall - RLB | HSC Studio | Ergys Çaushi

ALEKSANDER MOISIU UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

BOOKLET

FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol | PORRAS & LA CASTA Arquitectos | STUDIO B&L | Agim Seranaj | Adrian Paci BOOKLET

THE FORM BETWEEN THINGS A STORY OF FINDINGS AND RECOVERY

BOOKLET

OZ Architects | iRI Architecture | Felixx | Studio Sabine Marcelis | BUROMILAN

LIVE-IN GARDENS

BOOKLET

 

 

PRÁCTICA | STUDIO-REBUS | Ana Horhat - SAH | Ledia Kostandini

QUAD of QUADS

BOOKLET

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Jury

EDI RAMA

Mirela Kumbaro

Minister of Education of Albania

Mirela Kumbaro Furxhi is the Minister of Education of Albania and a distinguished academic, translator, and public intellectual. She holds a PhD in Translation Studies from the University of Tirana and a Master’s degree in Translation and Intercultural Communication from Sorbonne Nouvelle University. Previously serving as Minister of Tourism and Environment and Minister of Culture, she has combined a long academic career with active engagement in culture, education, and public policy. In 2017, she was awarded the French distinction Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters for her contribution to culture and Albanian–French cooperation.

Ervin Demo

Minister of State for Local Government of Albania

Ervin Demo is the Minister of State for Local Government of Albania. An academic and public administrator, he previously served as Mayor of Berat (2019–2025), Deputy Minister of Education, Sports and Youth, and Vice Rector of the University of Tirana. A lecturer in management and economics, he completed his higher education in the United Kingdom and pursued postdoctoral studies at University of Bologna. His work focuses on local governance, public administration, education, and sustainable urban development.

Shkëlqim Fortuzi

Rector of “Aleksandër Moisiu” University, Durrës

Prof. Dr. Shkëlqim Fortuzi is the Rector of “Aleksandër Moisiu” University. A professor of Finance and Accounting, he previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Business and has extensive experience in teaching, research, and academic leadership. His work focuses on accounting, fiscal policy, and financial management, with a strong commitment to advancing higher education, research, and international collaboration.

Emiriana Sako

Mayor of Durrës

Emiriana Sako is the Mayor of Durrës and a trained architect with extensive experience in urban planning and local governance. She graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at the Polytechnic University of Tirana and completed postgraduate studies in Housing at Roma Tre University. Over more than a decade of public service, she has contributed to major urban development projects in Durrës, including the city’s local master plan, and has held several leadership roles within the municipality before becoming Mayor.

Adelina Greca

Director General of the National Territorial Planning Agency (AKPT)

Adelina Greca leads the Agency’s work on national territorial planning, urban development, and strategic design initiatives. With extensive experience in architecture, urban planning, and public administration, she has played a key role in shaping planning policies and guiding complex territorial transformation projects across Albania. Her work focuses on integrating sustainable development principles, fostering collaboration between institutions and stakeholders, and promoting innovative approaches to the planning and management of urban and territorial growth.

Adelajda Roka

Director General of the Territorial Development Agency (AZHT)

Adelajda Roka leads the implementation of national planning policies and frameworks for sustainable territorial development. With a career spanning urban planning, regulatory reform, and policy coordination, she has been central in advancing strategic projects and integrated planning practices. She is recognized for promoting innovation, sustainability, and inclusive growth in Albania’s territorial governance, positioning AZHT as a driver of contemporary development policy.

Christian Kerez

Founder of Christian Kerez Zürich AG

Christian Kerez was born in 1962 in Maracaibo, Venezuela and educated at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich. After extensive published work in the field of architectural photography, he opened his own architectural office in Zurich, Switzerland in 1993 and in 2017 in Berlin, Germany. In 2021 the office moved from Berlin to Milan, Italy. Christian Kerez has been appointed as a visiting professor in design and architecture at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich since 2001, as assistant professor since 2003 and as full professor for design and architecture since 2009. In 2012-13 he led the Kenzo Tange Chair at Harvard University, Cambridge. He is currently working on several projects in various scales in Switzerland, Bahrain, Dubai and China.

Wilfried Kuehn

Architect, Curator, and Co-Founder of Kuehn Malvezzi

Wilfried Kuehn is an architect and curator based in Berlin and professor of Spatial Design at the Vienna University of Technology. Together with Simona Malvezzi and Johannes Kuehn he founded KUEHN MALVEZZI in 2001.The architectural firm has completed numerous projects, with a particular focus on cultural and intercultural spaces, museums, and public spaces.

Lorena del Río

Co-founder of RICA

Lorena del Río (Madrid, 1981) is an architect graduated from ETSAM (UPM, 2008), specializing in Urbanism, Planning, and Environment. In 2014, she co-founded her Madrid-based architecture firm, RICA. Her practice focuses on connecting space with well-being across domestic, educational, and healthcare environments. RICA’s award-winning work has been recognized in international competitions, published and exhibited globally at venues like Rome’s MAXXI, Storefront in New York and Tokyo’s GA Gallery. Alongside her practice, she has built an accomplished academic career, having taught at Cornell University, California College of the Arts (CCA), and MIT among other Institutions. From 2017 to 2022, she served as an Assistant Professor at The Cooper Union in New York City.

Pier Paolo Tamburelli

Architect and Founder of BAUKUH

Pier Paolo Tamburelli is one of the founders of baukuh. Tamburelli has taught at the Berlage Institute Rotterdam, at Harvard GSD, at the University of Illinois at Chicago, at Milan Politecnico, and he currently holds the chair of Design Theory at TU Vienna. Tamburelli was one of the founders and editors of the architectural magazine “San Rocco”. In 2022 he published “On Bramante” for MIT Press.

João Nunes

Founder and CEO of PROAP studio

João Nunes is a renowned landscape architect and founder of PROAP, established in 1985. His work is guided by the idea of landscape as a process of continuous transformation, integrating knowledge from multiple disciplines. Alongside professional practice, he has developed an extensive academic career, teaching and lecturing at leading international institutions, including Harvard Graduate School of Design and University of Pennsylvania. He is currently a professor at the University of Lisbon and the Academy of Architecture of Mendrisio. Nunes has authored several publications and received numerous national and international awards, while PROAP’s projects have been widely recognized, including multiple finalist nominations for the Rosa Barba International Landscape Prize.

Kamila Seidolli

President of the University’s Student Council

Kamila Seidolli is a fifth-year law student in the Integrated Master’s Program in Law at ‘Aleksandër Moisiu’ University. She has been actively involved in student representation, serving as President of the University’s Student Council, where she promoted dialogue and collaboration between students and university institutions. Alongside her legal studies, she has gained experience in the legal field and hosts the student podcast ‘Student Stars’, a platform dedicated to highlighting student achievements and inspiring stories. Her interests include law, social justice, public policy, and youth empowerment.