TIRANA, Oct. 19 – At the same day famous Albanologist Robert Elsie goes to sleep forever in its valley, Theth grabs attention again – this time, for its towers.
Hidden among high mountains at a valley about 800m above sea-level, Theth is the first village of the National Park of Albanian Alps to be built based on a Design Code. The draft of this code was first introduced on the 18th of October, at Millennium Cinema in Tirana, among the participation of hundreds of guests, architecture professionals and students, urban planners, Ministry of Environment and Tourism and other environmentally-friendly institutions’ representatives, officials of the German Embassy and civil society activists.
The event, titled “Traditional Architecture – Towers” was held in the context of the German October, as for one year now, local and foreign experts, with the support of GIZ, have intensively worked on Theth’s code as a unification of rules and principles that define how and where construction in the area will be possible and allowed.
Theth was selected for the Design Code, which is still a pilot project, because it is one of the most preserved areas of the Albanian Alps, despite its rapid development in the last decade.
Announcing the Alps as the biggest National Park in Albania only adds to the necessity to maintain balance between nature and development. Isolated for many centuries, these areas valued the frail tourism of the last decade as the only way to development, while the pressure of the latter risks the proper and responsible management of the natural resources in the area, preserved along the autochthonous culture. While unplanned construction in the Albanian Alps is continuing, in the face of frequent lack of construction permits and proper land ownership documentation, the need of a document such as the Design Code becomes greater by the day.
This code will serve as a guiding manual for institutions, locals and investors alike, enabling them the further enrichment of the unique traditional architecture. Following, the draft will be consulted by all interest groups so that it can reflect everyone’s viewpoints.
The activity kicked off by the welcoming words of AKZM Director, Zamir Dedaj, the major of Shkodra, Voltana Ademi, representatives of the CABRA project Mr. Ralf Peveling and Mrs. Shpresa Smajli.
While experts Mr. Hartmut Mueller and urban planner Mrs. Eltjana Shkreli, stressed the need for the good example of Theth, despite its controversial points reflected in the draft Design Code, to be adapted and converted into legal legislation in Albania, which can be applied not only to this area, but throughout the Albanian National Alps National Park.
After the screening of a documentary film for the summer school organized in Theth with students of architecture and urban planning from the Albanian and German universities, the participants visited the exhibition “Traditional Architecture – Towers”. In addition to the miniature models of the Theth Design Code, the exhibition on the Design Code by GIZ and the GO2 organization focused around the symbolism of the tower, had artworks of various techniques, such as stone, wood, textile, loom etc. The purpose of this exhibition was to bring the creativity of young people of the Theth area as gifts for tourists, as a symbol of the Albanian Alps and why not, as a contribution to the small business.
