Design and non-Normativity. In the Era of Paradigm Shifts
The architecture and urbanism of the totalitarian regimes, despite the ideological shades that ha... more The architecture and urbanism of the totalitarian regimes, despite the ideological shades that have been produced from different systems, in their core share similar principles which mainly derive from the use of the urban area as an expression of political propaganda. The socialist city was considered by the politics of that time as the greatest social achievement of the Marxist proletariat. It was the same unique place where the functions of residence, production, sport and recreation were mixed together, by also searching a strained unity that was supposed to dialogue more in a territorial scale rather than in a human one. Although there can be found some similarities with the Western industrial city, - like the idea of deurbanisation, - principally the new socialist city was created to generate the supporting mass based on the bynom ‘residence-production’. The decoration and the integration of the so-called ‘national style’ in the city architecture was considered more like a com...
Journal of Comparative Cultural Studies in Architecture, 2022
Modernization is a broad socioeconomic and institutional process that essentially consists of com... more Modernization is a broad socioeconomic and institutional process that essentially consists of comprehensive reforms that enable the transition from a traditional to modern society. Following the developed countries of Western Europe, from the beginning of the 20th century, the process began to extend to the countries of the Western Balkans and Albania in particular. In this article, architecture, urban planning, and related developments try to shed light on the special meanings that the term 'modernism' took in Albania during the succession of totalitarian systems for over half a century.
The modern history of Albania has undergone through different epochs of totalitarian regimes, whi... more The modern history of Albania has undergone through different epochs of totalitarian regimes, which have influenced in different ways the urban texture of the cities. Today there is an emergent need for Conservation and wise management of dissonant heritage of 20 century. This study deals with the transformation of some of the main squares in Tirana in order to understand and evaluate the architectural aspects of totalitarian architecture, which in Albania consists in coexistence between Fascism and Communism. How did ideology affect their architecture, how did they affect the city and how they are managing the changes of their initial program and adapting in a transitory economy, are some of the questions that is dealt with. The city squares were the first, which were submitted to democratic changes, although they were constructed following a different political ideology. After over two decades of democracy, the totalitarian past is slowly fading in memory of the citizens. Cities t...
Processes such as design, construction, industrialization, de-industrialization, internal migrati... more Processes such as design, construction, industrialization, de-industrialization, internal migration, external migration, life closely connected with the factory and the aim to emancipate the society by means of industrialization, gives to the planned socialist towns in Albania, a certain interest in terms of studies on urban design and sustainable development issues. In the last 20 years, on the way to the democratization of the country, a certain lack of interest has been inspired and felt on the built heritage, as part of a general cultural behaviour in confront of an unwanted past, characterized by a sort of “decomunization”. Today, we are witness on a totally different situation that also needs a different approach, a more technical than political. The heritage of the planned socialist cities is various and complex. Acting on the basis of limited symbolic resources, actively construct and promote a “deideologiesed” image of a young, green town. It includes realization of project...
Herritage of Planned Socialist Towns in Albania, 2014
Processes such as design, construction, industrialization, de-industrialization, internal migrati... more Processes such as design, construction, industrialization, de-industrialization, internal migration, external migration, life closely connected with the factory and the aim to emancipate the society by means of industrialization, gives to the planned socialist towns in Albania, a certain interest in terms of studies on urban design and sustainable development issues. In the last 20 years, on the way to the democratization of the country, a certain lack of interest has been inspired and felt on the built heritage, as part of a general cultural behaviour in confront of an unwanted past, characterized by a sort of "decomunization". Today, we are witness on a totally different situation that also needs a different approach, a more technical than political. The heritage of the planned socialist cities is various and complex. Acting on the basis of limited symbolic resources, actively construct and promote a "de-ideologiesed" image of a young, green town. It includes realization of projects of a great value, which putting aside the ideology and propaganda, are theoretically a good example for the contemporary society which has to leave to the past the bad taste of the old politics and direct herself to a more sustainable way of thinking, considering the city as a resource in itself, which has to be used in all the possible ways it offers.
Urban Transformations of Totalitarian Space in Tirana - Skanderbeg Square, 2019
The modern history of Albania has undergone through different epochs of totalitarian regimes, whi... more The modern history of Albania has undergone through different epochs of totalitarian regimes, which have influenced in different ways the urban texture of the cities. Today there is an emergent need for Conservation and wise management of dissonant heritage of 20 th century. This study deals with the transformation of some of the main squares in Tirana in order to understand and evaluate the architectural aspects of totalitarian architecture, which in Albania consists in coexistence between Fascism and Communism. How did ideology affect their architecture, how did they affect the city and how they are managing the changes of their initial program and adapting in a transitory economy, are some of the questions that is dealt with. The city squares were the first, which were submitted to democratic changes, although they were constructed following a different political ideology. After over two decades of democracy, the totalitarian past is slowly fading in memory of the citizens. Cities try to reinvent their self's and adapt rapidly to the new circumstances often by ignoring the existing contexts, which during this period has been systematically alienated. In particular analyzing Scanderbeg Square architecture emerge facts that demonstrate that this alienation happened also in the totalitarian past that somehow has affected the present conditions.
Design and non-Normativity. In the Era of Paradigm Shifts
The architecture and urbanism of the totalitarian regimes, despite the ideological shades that ha... more The architecture and urbanism of the totalitarian regimes, despite the ideological shades that have been produced from different systems, in their core share similar principles which mainly derive from the use of the urban area as an expression of political propaganda. The socialist city was considered by the politics of that time as the greatest social achievement of the Marxist proletariat. It was the same unique place where the functions of residence, production, sport and recreation were mixed together, by also searching a strained unity that was supposed to dialogue more in a territorial scale rather than in a human one. Although there can be found some similarities with the Western industrial city, - like the idea of deurbanisation, - principally the new socialist city was created to generate the supporting mass based on the bynom ‘residence-production’. The decoration and the integration of the so-called ‘national style’ in the city architecture was considered more like a com...
Journal of Comparative Cultural Studies in Architecture, 2022
Modernization is a broad socioeconomic and institutional process that essentially consists of com... more Modernization is a broad socioeconomic and institutional process that essentially consists of comprehensive reforms that enable the transition from a traditional to modern society. Following the developed countries of Western Europe, from the beginning of the 20th century, the process began to extend to the countries of the Western Balkans and Albania in particular. In this article, architecture, urban planning, and related developments try to shed light on the special meanings that the term 'modernism' took in Albania during the succession of totalitarian systems for over half a century.
The modern history of Albania has undergone through different epochs of totalitarian regimes, whi... more The modern history of Albania has undergone through different epochs of totalitarian regimes, which have influenced in different ways the urban texture of the cities. Today there is an emergent need for Conservation and wise management of dissonant heritage of 20 century. This study deals with the transformation of some of the main squares in Tirana in order to understand and evaluate the architectural aspects of totalitarian architecture, which in Albania consists in coexistence between Fascism and Communism. How did ideology affect their architecture, how did they affect the city and how they are managing the changes of their initial program and adapting in a transitory economy, are some of the questions that is dealt with. The city squares were the first, which were submitted to democratic changes, although they were constructed following a different political ideology. After over two decades of democracy, the totalitarian past is slowly fading in memory of the citizens. Cities t...
Processes such as design, construction, industrialization, de-industrialization, internal migrati... more Processes such as design, construction, industrialization, de-industrialization, internal migration, external migration, life closely connected with the factory and the aim to emancipate the society by means of industrialization, gives to the planned socialist towns in Albania, a certain interest in terms of studies on urban design and sustainable development issues. In the last 20 years, on the way to the democratization of the country, a certain lack of interest has been inspired and felt on the built heritage, as part of a general cultural behaviour in confront of an unwanted past, characterized by a sort of “decomunization”. Today, we are witness on a totally different situation that also needs a different approach, a more technical than political. The heritage of the planned socialist cities is various and complex. Acting on the basis of limited symbolic resources, actively construct and promote a “deideologiesed” image of a young, green town. It includes realization of project...
Herritage of Planned Socialist Towns in Albania, 2014
Processes such as design, construction, industrialization, de-industrialization, internal migrati... more Processes such as design, construction, industrialization, de-industrialization, internal migration, external migration, life closely connected with the factory and the aim to emancipate the society by means of industrialization, gives to the planned socialist towns in Albania, a certain interest in terms of studies on urban design and sustainable development issues. In the last 20 years, on the way to the democratization of the country, a certain lack of interest has been inspired and felt on the built heritage, as part of a general cultural behaviour in confront of an unwanted past, characterized by a sort of "decomunization". Today, we are witness on a totally different situation that also needs a different approach, a more technical than political. The heritage of the planned socialist cities is various and complex. Acting on the basis of limited symbolic resources, actively construct and promote a "de-ideologiesed" image of a young, green town. It includes realization of projects of a great value, which putting aside the ideology and propaganda, are theoretically a good example for the contemporary society which has to leave to the past the bad taste of the old politics and direct herself to a more sustainable way of thinking, considering the city as a resource in itself, which has to be used in all the possible ways it offers.
Urban Transformations of Totalitarian Space in Tirana - Skanderbeg Square, 2019
The modern history of Albania has undergone through different epochs of totalitarian regimes, whi... more The modern history of Albania has undergone through different epochs of totalitarian regimes, which have influenced in different ways the urban texture of the cities. Today there is an emergent need for Conservation and wise management of dissonant heritage of 20 th century. This study deals with the transformation of some of the main squares in Tirana in order to understand and evaluate the architectural aspects of totalitarian architecture, which in Albania consists in coexistence between Fascism and Communism. How did ideology affect their architecture, how did they affect the city and how they are managing the changes of their initial program and adapting in a transitory economy, are some of the questions that is dealt with. The city squares were the first, which were submitted to democratic changes, although they were constructed following a different political ideology. After over two decades of democracy, the totalitarian past is slowly fading in memory of the citizens. Cities try to reinvent their self's and adapt rapidly to the new circumstances often by ignoring the existing contexts, which during this period has been systematically alienated. In particular analyzing Scanderbeg Square architecture emerge facts that demonstrate that this alienation happened also in the totalitarian past that somehow has affected the present conditions.
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