along the Albanian Riviera

CONCEPT

The main idea of the Architecture Competition is to gather speculative architectural proposals addressing the topic of adaptive design strategies for tourism and unpredictable landscape mutations caused by climate change. The challenge is to design a hybrid system capable of responding to different coastline scenarios influenced by sea level rise. The new architectural object must be seen as an opportunity to experiment design solutions on the Albanian Riviera landscape, protecting and enhancing its extraordinary beauty.

OBJECTIVE

The main objective of the design completion is the design of a facility for coastal tourism that also responds to the hypothesized future water sea level rise. The main purpose is to set new strategies for coastal development, in terms of landscape valorization and sustainable tourism promotion. The participants are asked to organize a strategy for the proposed coastal area to guarantee the accessibility and use of the site also in case of sea level rise. The projects must serve both as touristic facilities and, in case of future sea level rise, remain active as self- sufficient structures, and offer an opportunity to reconnect and create a network with the now isolated inland settlements.

LOCATION

The area object of the intervention is located along the South Albanian coastline, in the Borsh valley. Today the site is considered one of the largest plains in the country, and an important asset for its olive tree plantations (one of the key agricultural resources for the entire Albanian coastline). Observed from above, the site appears characterized by a rational pattern, defined by water channeling systems, used for irrigation purposes or readapted as road infrastructures. The long stripe next to the beach is one of the most charming and frequented spots during summertime, even though the beach doesn’t offer many touristic services. The only access to the beach in Borsh is through a road, which divides in two parts the entire plain. Participants are strongly encouraged to preserve the double nature of this site: on one hand, the agricultural system with its olive tree plantations, on the other, the beach facing the Ionian Sea.

FUNCTIONAL PROGRAM *

The Borsh valley is mainly dedicated to agricultural activities connected with the production of oil and very small touristic seasonal functions along the beach stripe. One of the main objectives of this competition is to design a low impact architecture along the coast, set back from the beachfront (the stripe is indicated in the competition material). The proposals can also propose the addition of low impact beach facilities, considering the possibility to extend them on the sea through piers and similar low impact structures. In addition, the participants can consider the inner land as a potential area to develop agriculture related touristic facilities, and recreational and cultural activities, to guarantee the economic sustainability of the surrounding villages. As requested by the tender the project has to work in different scenarios (see “com- petition deliverables”).

COMPETITION DELIVERABLES

The competition design proposals needs to present two possible scenarios, one considering the present landscape condition, and another considering that in the future the sea level rises, flooding the land - an- swering the question: What if the sea were to replace the land?

JURY

Renier de Graaf (NL) OMA Luca Galofaro (IT) LGSMA Michiel Van Driessche (NL) Landscape Architect at Felixx William Veerbeek (NL) IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education Maria Goula (USA) Cornell University Herida Duro (AL) Ministry of Culture Directorate of policies and cultural development strategies Ledian Bregasi (AL) POLIS University, A.U.A. Albanian Union of Architects and Urban Planners Artan Raça (AL) Studio Raça arkitektura Loris Rossi (IT) POLIS University

WINNERS

FIRST PRIZE CONTEMPLATE / INSPIRE

Egor Brodyagin, Aigyun Brodyagina, Alexsey Timofeev, Alexander Moskovchenko, Julia Starikova /

Russia

SECOND PRIZE ARCHIPELAGO / EXPLOITING SEA RISE

Alberto Bertollo, Patrick Gastaldon, Matteo Zuppi / Italy

THIRD PRIZE ARCHIPELAGO AND THE LINE

Duccio Fantoni, Salome Katamadze / Italy

HONORABLE MENTIONS

OLIVUANA / GREEN LAND CREATED FOR ADVENTURE

Ekaterina Kochergina, Bernadett SotiLilla Krisztina Szilagyi / Rus-

sia and Hungary

A LANDSCAPE ODYSSEY: AGRICULTURAL VENICE

Gent Shehu, Rina Gorchaj /

Macedonia

BORSH ONE MILE

Endri Kiçaj, Klejni Feimi, Medjana Elezi, Paola Dalipi / Albania