The European Prize for Urban Public Space is being awarded for the tenth time this year. Its main organizer is the Barcelona Center for Contemporary Culture (CCCB), which is supported by prominent European architectural institutions - the British Architectural Foundation, the Vienna Architecture Center, the Center for Architecture and Heritage in Paris, the Museum of Architecture and Design in Ljubljana, as well as 35 experts from different countries, which provides the desired geographic coverage. This time, 279 objects from 179 cities were nominated for the prize; Russia was among the 32 countries where public spaces are located. The prize does not provide for monetary remuneration, allocates a public space with pronounced "European" features and recognizes both the authors of the project and the customers - the municipal authorities. The award is unique in that it only considers public urban areas of various sizes, while other landscape awards are given to both private and civic projects.
Skanderbeg Square was essentially created in the interwar period: then Albania was captured by fascist Italy, which was actively involved in architectural and urban planning activities in its "overseas territories". Under socialism, a number of ceremonial public buildings and a statue of Joseph Stalin appeared around, later replaced by a monument to the national hero of Albania, a fighter against Turkish rule, Skanderbeg. The total size of the area is about ten hectares, the undeveloped space in its center occupies about six hectares. Architects 51N4E won the competition for the project for the reconstruction of the most important urban object for Albania in 2008, a few years later the project was put on the shelf, but in 2015, when the mayor changed, it was resumed. The authors revised their idea to take into account the changed situation and implemented it in 2017.
From a semi-official territory not intended for the "private life" of the townspeople, the square has turned into an important recreational space, where a variety of spontaneous activities are possible - from morning prayers to evening concerts. The paved area in the center is not flat, but rather pyramid-shaped with very gentle edges. The difference in height between the center and the edges of the square is two meters, which allows the townspeople to look differently, from a more advantageous position, at the ceremonial buildings around. The water of the fountains flows through the free space, the motley, carpet-like paving is made of stone quarried in different parts of Albania.
The perimeter of the square, the border of dense buildings and free space, is occupied by twelve gardens and light urban furniture. This "green belt", "open-air living room" also encompasses the previously existing grand staircases. It was created taking into account the needs of the townspeople and the public institutions located around them: their functions to one degree or another "splash out" here.
To make it easier to maintain the landscaping, we chose plants typical of the Tirana area for the gardens. To provide the Skanderbeg Square with trees, shrubs and perennials during the reconstruction, three new nurseries were opened, for the needs of paving, several quarries resumed their work, which continue to function today: architects and customers see their merit in these positive economic events.
The project budget was 13 million euros. In addition to the public space with small architectural forms upstairs, the project includes an underground garage for 300 cars. Landscaping occupies 18.5 thousand m2, paving - 36.5 thousand m2, gravel - 9.8 thousand m2.m2.
