INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONTIRANA NEW MUNICIPALITY BUILDING

Master Plan

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONTIRANA NEW MUNICIPALITY BUILDING

Architecture for municipal buildings, city halls and local governmentadministration has been a typology characterized by a fixed severe stance as anextension of the dictate of governmental authority. This architecture resulted inmonumental, austere buildings with a heavy appearance and an overall lack offlexibility despite their primary function as a center for public service.

For the design of this concept for a municipal building for Tirana the design teammoved away from the accepted typology focusing instead on the geometriesafforded to us by the site on a main avenue of the capital city of Albania. Weconcentrated on generating a dynamic, lithe configuration that not only took intoaccount the interior spaces but the exterior and site perimeter to create asustainable, zero carbon ecologically sensitive design. The structures generatedby our design furthermore expanded usage of the building throughout the day ina 24-hour cycle as a harbinger for future modalities and generational aspirationfor public space, nature and outdoor activity. Our design called for anarchitecture that serves as an administrative center for government butimportantly serves the public with multiple outdoor and indoor functions.

We conceived a constellation of functions above and below ground. Includingthe functions in the basement levels there is a procession of interconnectedvolumes comprising four distant above ground buildings inclusive of the distincttower. The lower basement floors are given to social spaces with a separateentrance for the main council meeting space that also includes a multipurposeroom and cafeteria with a separate exterior entrance. There is a rich spatial andgeometric arrangement that provides a variety of interactions with the localgovernment’s activities but also generates intriguing experiences apart fromgovernmental functions as a space for public gathering.

For example the design of the main service building comprising of twointerconnected volumes that also connects either side of the site through ahybrid exterior transverse road located at its center serves as an interfacebetween the main avenue and interior street fabric augmenting the urbancharacter of the area. Within this rich urban environment the architecture acts acounter proposition to the existing closed typology. Instead of a closed removedspace the primary city government-meeting hall is in fact open to the exteriorand sunlight allowing visual access to these legislative meetings from the publiccirculation areas and zones of natural landscaping.

The main building consisting of two “humps” protruding abovegrade, one of three interior levels and the other of two areconnected via internal bridges. These humps visible as protrusionsof the exterior facade canopy are held up by a structure of deftlyorganized prefabricated elements that allows this surface to hang inspace. This roof cum facade is a transparent surface allowing forlight to enter throughout the main interior volume including naturalair circulation and cooling reducing energy needs. Airflow channelsbetween floors and the triangulated pattern of roof canopy includeopenings in the facade allowing air to flow up and out of thebuilding. A series of interior bridges and elevators provide bothhorizontal and vertical circulation for the public and civil servantsworking in the offices.

The shape of these buildings allowing for outdoor public gatheringsin the exterior terraces especially in the temperate months of theMediterranean climate of Albania reflects the ancient historicalurban patterns of the local geography as contemporaryamphitheaters. The public can see the exterior surfaces in this wayas a park fully accessible but also as theaters and agoras that wasa part of the rich civic traditions of this geography dating to AncientRoman times. These terraces reach down to the basement floorsunifying with the pool found there. Even if there are no public eventsthese terraces create a topography from which the surroundingurban areas can be viewed allowing for services to be created fromthe architecture.,

Landscape and TopographyOur design calls for an outdoor recreation and play area in thenortheast section comprising of a bicycle park that will be built fromthe earth excavated from the building site. The undulating surfacesof the bicycle park extend and activate the geometry of the buildingtowards an active purpose integrating youth and sport.

Moving forward from the competition brief we have connected thearea on the facing avenue side of the buildings and the park on theback perimeter to generate an attractive natural landscape that willgreatly add to the natural fabric of Tirana. Visitors will be able toclimb over and through these surfaces on top of the buildingvolume, as the building is topography unto itself. Our design in thisway calls for the elimination of the existing building blocks acrossfrom the new municipal buildings to create a new natural parktopography that extends the new urban master plans beingcurrently developed for Tirana. We intend to use the earth removedfrom the building foundation excavation for this purpose.

Site Plan

Massing AnalysisSTEP 1

Massing AnalysisSTEP 2

Massing AnalysisSTEP 3

Massing AnalysisSTEP 4

Sun Path and Wind Rose Diagrams

Exploded Perspective

1 st Basement Floor PlanLevel -5.00 m

Ground Floor PlanLevel ±0.00 m

1 st Floor PlanLevel +4.00 m

Section A-A

Section B-B

Section C-C

Zero-Emission Usage Analysis Section

Sustainability and Zero Emission

The axis from the urban center to the south toward tothe river is intended to transform Tirana into a green cityfor the future based on newly developed master planscenarios. The design of the new municipal building isan important center in this direction as a strategic andiconic symbol of the developing plans for Tirana.

Furthermore our design employs a technical, ecologicalfeature set for the new municipal building that isintended to be sustainable with a zero carbon footprint.Added to this concern for energy conservation are waterpipes buried below grade that allow for cooling. On thenorth and south side of the building facing towards theprevailing winds allowing for natural ventilation whileproviding optimized placement of photovoltaic panels.Furthermore the geometry of the building through theseries of folds enhances the airflow through and overthe buildings. Added to this is the green roof thatprovides heat insulation in a passive way.