Skanderbeg square underground works almost finished

TIRANA, Feb. 28 – Underground works for the reconstruction of the capital’s central square are in their final phase, senior municipality officials say. Dritan Agolli, the general administrator of the Municipality of Tirana told reporters last week that works to conclude underground infrastructure in Skanderbeg square, including sophisticated water and sewerage pipes, electrical, Albtelecom and internet wires are almost finished concluding the first stage of project.
Municipality officials say the underground infrastructure had not been renovated since the late 1930s when the central square was designed and built by the Italians.
Dritan Agolli says the municipality has laid 1,500 metres of drinking water pipes and 500 metres of sewage pipes in the square and established some new galleries to eliminate future demolition of the square for underground works.
The second and final stage of the project in the central square includes the paving of the square making it fully pedestrian. No deadline has been made available for the competition of works in the central square which under current slow pace of progress will take a long time.
The capital’s central square reconstruction is being carried out under a project designed by Brussels based 51N4E architectural studio.
The square is the centre of Tirana and features several important buildings including the Opera Building, National Museum and the National Bank. The reconstruction is necessary due to neglect and the onslaught of traffic which detracts from the area. Many buildings in the area had been constructed following the collapse of communist rule with no planning permission – the regeneration will be one of the first large government assignments for the reconstruction of public space since this occurred in 1991.
51N4E’s design turns the 170 m by 170 m square into a traffic free zone and elevates its central part no less than three metres above ground level. Surrounding this area, there will be various parks and gardens. “Right in the centre of a belt of newly planted trees, we will construct a low pyramid no taller than three metres high. Buildings are being constructed in Tirana at a frightening pace and we want to create a space where you can escape from the chaos of an over-consumed city submerged by cars” says Johan Anrys, project architect.