Lost Architecture Competition Tirana

Trans Radiation

The former Museum of Enver Hoxha, one of the most significant architectural monuments in the center of Tirana, is awaiting to face a new chapter. It is a matter of fact that public buildings are changing their purpose over the course of time. The famous Louvre in Paris, for instance, was meant to be the Royal Palace before finally finding its fate as the first public museum in France. Or just like the Berlin Wall, once dividing a whole city for almost thirty years, remains today as one of the most visited touristic sites in Berlin.

Since the city of Tirana was undergoing strong historic transformations, it should be in demand how the Pyramid Museum can react for its part. The original purpose, memorably dedicated for one person, is not suitable any more. A contemporary approach to the building, responding to the needs and beliefs of the modern Albanian society give the building a new lease on life.

In order to both opening the existing and filling its gaps with new contemporary content, the proposed construction sticks apparently for passengers out of the museum, converging at the same time carefully into the hardly inviting inside. The new steel structure is composed of three parts, wedging from three different directions into and out of the building, connected within the inner atrium by a pathway on the 2nd level. Due to the experience that people are still using the roof landscape it should be not only kept up but also extended and improved on its accessibility.

The addition to the museum is proposing a new program, a cultural center with conference and exhibition rooms, not only for art festivals like the Biennale but also for other different local happenings - an open space center of communication to support interconnections between people from different cultural or social backgrounds. From this center of information and communication on, providing ideas, contacts and material, there could be a radial development of satellite points to spread initiatives and enable people to take part in the current change of their city.