Four projects selected for Venice Biennale of Architecture

TIRANA, July 2 – Albania has selected four projects that will represent the country in the 13th Venice Architecture Biennale. A jury composed of architects and artists awarded the first prize to architect Ilir Voci and urban planner Edvana Vangjeli for their project on the reconstruction and restoration of an early 19th century house in the city of Korca, southeastern Albania, where patriot Themistokli Germenji lived. Built in 1820, the object was declared a museum house of the first category in 1963. “The object’s restoration started in 1996 focusing on the improvement structural conditions and the requalification of specific interior and exterior elements. The intervention involved the transformation of the object into a villa serving as bar and restaurant in its ground floor and a house in the first floor,” said the Culture Ministry.
The selection of this winning project is based on the quality of concrete interventions in the object. The Germenji villa is currently a prominent attraction in Korca where visitors can experience the city’s traditions in architecture, and gastronomy as well as enjoy their hospitality.
The second prize went to architect Enejda Seraj with her project on the revitalization of the acropolis in the fortress of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Berat. The project involves the revitalization of the fortress where leisure and entertainment premises will be established for visitors.
Two prizes were also awarded to the best architecture student projects. Students Brion Basha and Marvi Basha were awarded the first prize for their Urban Skin project involving the installation of a transparent membrane in the hall of the National Historical Museum in Tirana with a light metallic structure creating multifunctional spaces for exhibitions, fairs and concerts.
The second student prize went to Elian Stefa and Gyler Mydyti for their Concrete Mushroom project involving the reuse of 750,000 bunkers built during the country’s communist regime.
The project involves reconceiving bunkers from symbols of xenophobia into symbols of hospitality and economic opportunity and promote ecotourism, preserving them as a memory of Albania’s dark side of history. Bunkers are proposed to turn into new recreational facilities, tourist information offices, shops etc.
The national competition’s topic focused on revitalizing monuments of culture and military structures in Albania in an effort to transform them into real tourist destinations.
For Albania this will be the second participation in the Venice Biennale of Architecture after the 2010 debut with Beyond Color exhibition which showed problems and emergencies with Tirana`s architectural and urban heritage as well as the potential of this heritage to shape the future. The pavilion was composed of a multimedia presentation of Albanian architectural traditions, featuring the colourfully-painted buildings of the capital city of Tirana
The 13th International Architecture Exhibition, directed by David Chipperfield and titled Common Ground, will run in Venice from 29th August through 25th November 2012.
The Exhibition will be complemented by 55 National Participations organized, as usual, in the Pavilions at the Giardini, at the Arsenale and in the city of Venice. Five nations among which Kosovo will be participating for the first time.