Agjensia Kombëtare e Planifikimit të Territorit
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Dual Public Property Development Competitions

Manifesto

Tirana has undergone an extraordinary transformation since transitioning to a market economy after 1991. The city epitomizes the dynamics of Albania’s evolution, now home to almost 1 million inhabitants, which is over a third of the country’s entire population. Tirana’s long- term strategic development trajectory contrasts with two decades of spontaneous and relatively uncontrolled growth, aiming to create a visually unique, culturally vibrant, and economically attractive capital for the region and beyond.

Tirana’s urban development has rapidly expanded over the last decade, spurred by increased confidence in Albania’s economic stability. This has attracted intensive foreign investment and fostered government initiatives, transforming Tirana into a center of economic activity and cultural diversity.

As a result of this economic and urban development, Tirana's real estate market has experienced significant growth and transformation, particularly in the office and housing segments. This trend is driven by the high demand for modern residential and commercial environments.

Rapid development and the process of European integration have made a well- functioning public sector a vital necessity to maintain the country's development trajectory. Today, much of the administrative infrastructure is located in amortized buildings on state-owned properties, most of which were constructed with low quality during the twentieth century. Additionally, several public institutions rent spaces from the market.

Beyond the wear of time, many of these buildings sustained structural damage in the 2019 earthquake. Moreover, these buildings were designed in a bygone era, making them unsuitable for contemporary workspaces.

However, these government properties represent assets with substantial economic value. The Albanian Investment Corporation (AIC), established by the Albanian Government and set up as a corporation with the public as the intended beneficiary, is tasked with transforming these properties through financial mechanisms to leverage their economic value.

In this large-scale effort to rebuild a significant portion of the public administration, the AIC will coordinate the transformation process with private-sector developers. In exchange for the right to develop highly amortized properties, these developers will finance the development and modernization of several government clusters, providing modern, accessible, and efficient workspaces for numerous government agencies currently underserved by their existing spaces.

This competition seeks to generate proposals to realize this twofold vision of administrative upgrading and modern mixed-use development. We aim for innovative and forward-thinking designs that harmonize diverse programmatic requirements while remaining flexible enough to accommodate future uses.

This initiative aims to provide a dynamic, efficient, and feasible solution to the many challenges inherent in such a complex and ambitious goal. The benefits include:

>  Transforming underutilized or amortized buildings and parcels into new urban landmarks

>  Stimulating surrounding property values

>  Boosting business activities in the area

>  Developing state-of-the-art facilities with high standards and the latest technology, attracting a diverse range of residents and businesses

>  Enhancing government services and administration through upgraded infrastructure

>  Increasing operational efficiency for public institutions

>  Improving workplace standards for public officials

>  Creating dynamic and inclusive spaces for the larger community

>  Developing and validating new economic concepts based on efficiency and mutual benefits

>  Harmonizing new infrastructure with sustainable and technological advancements

Winners

 

 

G1, LOT 1: Public Administration Cluster

 

Team

Coldefy et Associés | Atelier 4 | Sempervirens | AEI Progetti | Jacopo Foggini

 

BOOKLET 

 

 

G1, LOT 2: Mixed Use Development

 

Team

Andrea Caputo | SO-IL | FOCUS Architecture | OPENFABRIC | James Beckett

 

BOOKLET 

 

 

G2, LOT 1 + LOT 2: Property Institutions Cluster + Mixed Use Development

 

TEAM

Baukuh Studio | Muoto | Sam Chermayeff Office | Yellow Office | Bollinger Grohmann | AtmosLab | SimonBoudvin | Arkimade

 

BOOKLET LOT 1

BOOKLET LOT 2

Runners-up

Andrea Caputo | SO-IL | FOCUS Architecture | OPENFABRIC | James Beckett

G1: Babylon Nexus

 

BOOKLET

Coldefy et Associés | Atelier 4 | Sempervirens | AEI Progetti | Jacopo Foggini

G1: Mixed Use Development

 

BOOKLET

EMBT Architects | GB-a Studio | OUD Architects | Adrien Vescovi

G1: COLORING THE FUTURE

 

BOOKLET

Snøhetta | StudioArch4 | ARUP | Jorunn Sannes

G1: Public Administration Cluster + Mixed Use Development

 

BOOKLET 1

BOOKLET 2

 

 

Zaha Hadid Architects | ASArchitects | F&M Ingegneria | Pjerin Kolnikaj

G1: Public Administration Cluster + Mixed Use Development

 

BOOKLET

 

 

Archi-tectonics | Thornton Tomasetti | Dirtworks Landscape Architects | Hans Van De Bovenkamp

G2: Property Institutions Cluster + Mixed-use Development

 

BOOKLET

 

 

Architecture Studio | CIPB | Florence Mercier | Krijn de Koning | Studio Ker Yan | Eco-Cites

G2: Property Institutions Cluster + Mixed-use Development

 

BOOKLET 1

BOOKLET 2

 

 

Cook Research | Piercy & Company London | Archispace | Ergys Krisiko

G2: Property Institutions Cluster + Mixed-use Development

 

BOOKLET

 

 

 

MAD Architects | Gevers Landscape Architecture | AEI Progetti | Ralph Nauta Lonneke | Lonneke Gordijn

G2: Property Institutions Cluster + Mixed-use Development

 

BOOKLET

 

 

 

Jury

EDI RAMA

Prime Minister

Erion Veliaj

The mayor of Tirana
Erion Veliaj is the Mayor of Tirana. He graduated in Political Science in the USA and completed his Master's studies at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom, with a focus on European Integration. Veliaj founded the MJAFT movement in 2003, heading it until 2007. MJAFT, as an organization that unified the spirit of activism among Albanian youth, won the United Nations Civil Society Award in 2004. From 2007 to 2009, Mr. Veliaj joined the European Stability Initiative to promote EU enlargement, and in 2011, as Secretary for Youth and Emigration in the Socialist Party, he organized the party's structures for the Diaspora, especially in Greece and Italy. In 2013, Mr. Veliaj was elected a Member of Parliament for the Socialist Party and was appointed Minister of Social Welfare and Youth, successfully managing the implementation of five key reforms for the country. In 2015, Mr. Veliaj was elected Mayor of Tirana, where he continues to serve

Christian Kerez

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.

José Selgas

Borned in Madrid en 1965, Architect by the ETSA Madrid 1992,Works with Francesco Venecia in Naples between 1994-95, Scholarship granted by Academia de Bellas Artes de España en Roma 1997-98. Selgascano was established in Madrid in 1996. It is a small atelier and intends to remain so. They have worked with a wide variety of projects keeping always nature at the core of the program. Its work is focused on research into the construction process, which is treated as an ongoing process of `listening´ to the largest possible number of elements involved, from manufacture to installation. Selgascano avoid the use of games and mechanisms that lead to disciplinary issues, and strive to seek beauty that is comprehensible to any human being

Giacomo Garziano

Fascinated by science and musiccomposition from a young age, Giacomo Garziano trained first as a<br />musician then as an architect in Florence and Paris. Giacomo founded GG-loop 2014 in Amsterdam, with the goal to generate novel, organic approachesto design and architecture. His first project, the multi-awarded polyhedral House-Museum "The Seed of Time" (Altamura, IT), merging music,science and art, brought the practice to international recognition. The recent multi-awarded “Freebooter” and “Mitosis” projects have become global benchmarks of biophilic design His eclectic approach creates multi-sensory experiences, his objects becoming an organic extension of the user, lifting the boundaries between the human and its surroundings.

Elira Kokona

Mrs. Elira Kokona is a distinguished expert in human and constitutional rights with a rich international background. She holds law degrees from the University “La Sapienza” in Rome, Italy, and Tirana University. With extensive experience at the European Court of Human Rights and the General Directorate of Human Rights and Democracy at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, Mrs. Kokona has made significant contributions to the field of human rights. As a member of the Albanian Bar Association, she has excelled as an associate lawyer in prominent law firms in both Tirana and Rome. Mrs. Kokona is a respected lecturer at the Albanian School of Magistrates and the Albanian National School of Advocates and frequently participates as a key expert in national and international seminars and conferences. She has previously served as the Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Culture in Albania. Fluent in Albanian, English, French, and Italian, she continues to contribute significantly to Albania's sustainable economic development and legal landscape.

Adelajda Roka

Adelajda Roka is an experienced legal consultant and executive leader with a strong background in national and international project management. Currently serving as the General Director of the Agency of Territorial Development, she leverages extensive legal expertise and strategic vision to drive significant territorial development initiatives. She is committed to implementing policies and frameworks that enhance sustainable development. Mrs. Roka completed her Juris Doctor at the University of Tirana, Faculty of Law, in 2009.

Adelina Greca

Adelina Greca earned her degree in Architecture from the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. Building on her academic foundation, she pursued postgraduate studies in the Urban Design Program within the Faculty of Urbanism at the same university. From 2003 to 2011, Adelina contributed her expertise as an architect and urban planner at the Municipality of Tirana. Following this, from 2011 to the end of 2013, she embraced an educational role at Epoka University, specifically in the Faculty of Engineering, within the Department of Architecture. In 2013, Ms. Greca assumed the position of General Director at the National Territorial Planning Agency (NTPA). Throughout her dedicated service at both the Municipality of Tirana and NTPA, Adelina successfully orchestrated numerous international architecture and urban design competitions. Additionally, she was sought after as a jury member for several other competitions organized by both public and international institutions.

Simon Battisti

Simon Battisti is an urban planner, educator, and the director of Qendra Marrëdhënie (Relationship Center), a non-profit urban research and action group based in Tirana, Albania. QM works on neighborhood planning initiatives with a special focus on how the built environment impacts early childhood health, education, and care. Simon holds degrees in architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture, and the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.