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The competition and the winning project
Arba Baxhaku’s proposal to rebuild the Church of St. Mary in Vau i Dejës won first prize yesterday in the Young Architects for Urban Development competition, organized by the Architects’ Association with support from the Ministry of Urban Development. Of 26 entries, six received awards. Alongside Arba’s first prize, second and third prizes went to Hysen Çifliku and Ardit Qereshniku (second place), and Endri Llubani, Gejsu Selimi and Juljana Strataj (third place).
The competition was held for young architects aged up to 30, who have not always had the opportunity to present their ideas or find support from those involved in urban development in Albania. Now, after this recognition, the dream for each of these young people remains to see their ideas realized. Showing their projects to Shekulli, some winners said their proposals could “easily be implemented, because the materials used are not expensive.”
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Minister Eglantina Gjermenji said that “efforts will be made to support these young people financially, beyond the prizes they have won, through budget funds or cooperation with donors, so that their ideas can be realized.” Naturally, the person most eager to see her proposal implemented was the winner, Arba Baxhaku, who made no secret of her affection for it and her desire that it should not simply remain on paper. “The project for the Church of St. Mary in Vau i Dejës is very dear to me.
“I dedicate this prize to those who most inspired me to develop it, the intellectuals of the time who tried to protect it from being blown up with dynamite in May 1969,” Arba said as she received first prize.
“I dedicate the prize to two of the intellectuals who stood by the church in Vau i Dejës, Aleksandër Meksi and Dhorka Dhamo, whom I have known personally. Very few stones from this church remain on the ground. In my view, rebuilding it realizes a project of hope, a project showing that just a few stones and a thread of memory are enough, a memory we all carry in our pockets, because this church is printed on every 1000-lek banknote… We unknowingly carry stone and memory in our pockets, and I think that is enough to pick up this thread of memory, this thread of heritage, and give it to the generations to come.”
Arba, who graduated from the University of Florence in Italy two years ago, said her church-reconstruction project was not just a dream, because it could all be carried out easily.
“This project is very simple to implement, because every material comes from the rocks near the remaining church ruins, most of which have been gathered by local residents and priests. That is why I say it is not simply a dream, but something that could become a reality tomorrow. I think this project would also do a great deal to make the area itself better known, because no one goes to see a collection of ruins enclosed by a fence.
“With the history it holds within it, I believe this project could truly turn the monument into an important one for the future.” Arba’s project was chosen unanimously by the competition jury, which consisted of representatives of the 4 participating schools, two representatives of the Architects’ Association, a lawyer and two representatives of the Ministry of Urban Development.
The winners also received cash prizes
The competition required participants to be aged 21-30 and to hold a degree in architecture, urban planning or a directly related discipline. For group entries, at least one member had to be a graduate. The competition’s theme included concepts and innovative proposals of any kind to promote the urban and architectural qualities of settlements throughout Albania, as well as to encourage tourism. Cash rewards were also provided for the winners.
Thus, 200 thousand lek was allocated for the winner, 150 thousand lek for the two second places and 100 thousand lek for the three third places.
Parachuting from the Rock of Kavajë
Parachuting from the Rock of Kavajë and a viewing balcony at the highest point of this natural landmark were part of Gejsu Selimi’s proposal, which won third prize. “Rediscovering, Revitalizing and Reusing the Rock of Kavajë” envisaged tourism quite different from what has been offered so far on the Durrës coast. “The Rock of Kavajë has been seen as one of the most strategic points in the Bay of Durrës area,” Gejsu tells Shekulli.
“We thought of focusing on this natural landmark because we saw it as one of the least used sites on a heavily used coastline such as Durrës’s. The idea was to rediscover the tunnels within the Rock of Kavajë. The aim is to reuse them as museums, exhibitions, spaces for visual displays and many other activities.
“Another idea was to restore the mountain route in that area. We therefore thought of using the Rock of Kavajë for three activities: rock climbing, or mountaineering, cycling uphill and parachuting. At the summit, we have envisaged a balcony that opens onto the landscape, a broad view of the entire Bay of Durrës, a view you cannot see anywhere except from the Rock of Kavajë.
“This is one of the most beautiful points in the area, one of the most enticing, I would say.” Gejsu graduated last year from the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning at the Polytechnic University of Tirana. She says she welcomed the competition because it came just after she had left university.
“This competition was an unforgettable and very special experience because, beyond the recognition, it comes at a time when I have just finished university. Considering how difficult it is to establish yourself in this profession in our country, I view the opportunity given to all of us with considerable optimism and gratitude.” Like first-prize winner Arba, Gejsu says her dream now is to see the project built. “One of my greatest dreams now, beyond winning in this competition, is to realize this project. I think it could be done at minimal cost compared with the revenue that could be generated by putting the idea into use.
“To begin with, the materials used do not affect the environment, because the structures are made of wood or iron. It should be said that this project offers a kind of tourism never introduced in this area: not just the beach, but other tourist activities whose absence has been greatly felt.”
A submarine and war museum for Orikum
Blending the natural landscape with the history and distinctive features of the Orikum area was Endri Llubani’s proposal, which also received an award. One of its most striking elements was the idea of turning a submarine from the Pasha Liman base into a site tourists could visit. “The idea began as an initiative to identify, or rather bring together in a defined itinerary, the ideology and natural attractions offered by this area. It is rich in natural landmarks and in history, from antiquity, with the archaeological site of the ancient city of Orik, to the Cold War and communism in Albania itself.
“In this historical part, we have the Pasha Liman naval base, which also features in one of the major films of the period, Face to Face.
“Here we deal precisely with the ideology of that period as it spread in this area. Another theme emerges here: the submarine. Of course, the submarine U-105 did not exist, but we take it as a concept, a theme from the film and its screenplay, which gave this history a kind of mythical quality.
“We have chosen one of the existing submarines, which, in fact, are also being sent for scrap. We have thought of reusing one, carrying out partial repairs so it can be displayed. Continuing along the route, one then reaches a kind of war museum that I have envisaged in one of the unused buildings in the area. I have thought of putting it back into use with just a wooden covering, making the building a dedicated museum space.
“After this museum, the route softens. People now encounter the earlier history, with the archaeological sites. Farther on is a wooden bridge crossing the lagoon.
“And then the nature section, in the national park,” said Endri, who graduated from the Faculty of Architecture last year. Like his fellow prizewinning competitors, Endri believed his project could be carried out easily. “I think the project is easy to implement, because it uses materials such as wood and iron, which can readily be found in the area.
“I have not really added anything to the settings already there in Orikum. I have simply thought of connecting them through a route, a kind of program in which all these attractions are brought together, and I think the whole thing could be done easily.”
Published in “Shekulli” on 18/03/2015