4.1 Spatial and Historical Context of the Focus Area

The focus area for the implementation of the stormwater concept is located in the southwestern part of Tirana, less than one kilometer from the city center and easily accessed from different parts of the city. In the north, it borders with the stream of the Lana River and in the south with the Grand Park of the city. The area is cut through by the main artery of the city - the ‘Dëshmoret e Kombit’ Boulevard’. On the left side of the main Boulevard, lies the Blloku area, a neighbourhood that during the Communist rule was a restricted residential area to members of the politburo only (see Fig. 43). The former residence of the dictator still stands nowadays.

After the fall of the regime, the district experienced a dramatic growth, with new construction up to 12 floors height, which combined with the existing low-rise buildings inherited from the communism time, resulted in an unattractive mixture. The redevelopment process of the neighbourhood after the ‘90s, was carried out mostly by the public sector, in a spontaneous manner and without a proper vision for the future. The aftermath of this process is a place where cafés, bars, pubs, restaurants, shops and boutiques have occupied the ground floors of almost all buildings and where the pedestrian activities go on until late hours. Nevertheless its chaotic brought up, without a doubt Bllok remains the most youthful and the main entertainment district of Tirana (Pojani & Maci, 2015).

The part of the focus area, lying in the farright side of the main Boulevard, has followed almost the same development language as the Bllok area after the ‘90s. The similarities can be easily distinguished just by looking at the urban pattern of the districts - dense and irregular building blocks lacking green areas. The low-rise buildings in this district represent some of the oldest in Tirana to date - single family villas constructed during the ‘20s-’40s (Stafa, 2014; Resuli & Dervishi, 2014). Needless to say, that the construction trend of the transition years altered the built environment of this neighbourhood as well. On the other hand, the buildings along both sides of the Boulevard shape a much more regular urban pattern, followed by more green amenities. Some of the most important state offices are located along it, such as the office of the Prime Minister and the President. However, the building that triggers the most tourists’ interest is the Pyramid of Tirana, a landmark for the city. Built in the mid ‘80s as a mausoleum for the dictator, it became the center of discussion among urban planners, architects, politicians and historians after the change of regime, due to its ties with the legacy of communism. After many political discussions, mostly aiming its demolition, this peculiar building is currently under reconstruction to be soon transformed into a youth-multimedia center, based on the winning design of MVRDV - an acclaimed Dutch architecture office (MVRDV, 2021; Patricolo, 2019).

The Boulevard is the genesis of the city, built in the ‘30s according to the Italian master plan as a showpiece of the Italian occupation during that time. Grotesquely, it represents perhaps the first boulevard in history to be constructed without an existing urban setting since the city grew eventually from scratch, as an extension along it (Adam & Kuch, 2019). Even though the Boulevard is not classified as a monument, any kind of interventions along it should be proposed considering its historical background.

Gathering from the previous paragraphs, it is safe to conclude that the urban developments in this area of the city are nothing less but a mirror of the political change that Albania has experienced through the years. As per words of the Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama:

“Tirana’s center is like looking at a collection, or a historical diary of political affairs and political love stories (Adam & Kuch, 2019).”

Figure 43 | Orthophoto of Downtown, Tirana Source: ASIG, 2018

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