GLOW IN THE DARK
Location: Tirana, Albania
Client: Municipality of Tirana
Assignment: Central square + Pavilions
Program: Biotechnology museum in former industrial area
Size: 2,5 ha
Status: Competition
Team: JA + DSA [Marc Joubert, Duzan Doepel, Eline Strijkers with Stefan Meier], Katie Tedder Landschapsarchitecten & Arcadis engineers
Sqanderberg Square Tirana, Albania
This competition for a new square in the centre of Tirana was a good opportunity to develop our idea of using public space as a generator for urban quality and investment. An approach we also followed in our re-public project in Novi Sad. By improving public space with a relatively modest public investment, we could regenerate the edges and neighbourhood around it. In this proposal we started with a new infrastructure plan, leading all car traffic around the central square of Tirana on a new inner ring road. Then defining a clear edge to this new centre with a forest of pine trees, which would thin out towards a clearing in the middle of the square. The trees would help to re-green the city and create shade during the summer heat. All lights, fittings etc. would be attached to these trees, avoiding lampposts. We developed a new material, concrete with added phosphorescent glow in the dark, as the street cover and furniture material: concrete during the day and glowing at night to provide a new experience and a new and recognisable public space. This led to our next commission in Albania for the ZonE master plan.
