Qyteti

The competition for the selection of the winning project of the Conference and Exhibition Center begins

The competition for the selection of the winning project of the Conference and

Another ambitious project of the Municipality of Tirana, the one for the Conference and Exhibition Center on New Boulevard, has started today, initially with the selection of the winning studio of the international competition, opened for this purpose. The five finalist architectural studios presented today their vision for this important project.

The Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, said that with the Conference and Exhibition Center, another era of Tirana's transformation officially opens, which this time will give a new impetus to the development of the other side of the capital, towards the New Boulevard. .

"The New Boulevard makes us understand how much Tirana has grown in 100 years and how necessary it was for the city to extend its backbone. It is also a comparison with the first 100 years, when Italian architects or visitors from the fascist era came to Tirana and said: 'we have seen cities without boulevards, but we have never seen a boulevard without a city'. So we want to address this immediately and have the boulevard join the rest of the city. It is about balancing Tirana on the northern side, to make sure that the city has two centers of gravity: 'Skënderbej' Square, as the space that holds this symmetry in place, and "New Boulevard" as the definition of our dream for Tirana of the second century Capital", declared Veliaj.

The Mayor argued that now that the issue of tourist accommodation is being resolved, another need has arisen, that of new spaces for activities and conventions.

"Today we are in a situation where within a few years, we have responded to the demand for beds. But people don't just come to sleep and stroll in the square. One of the great needs has been to have spaces for activities, congresses and conventions. Last year Tirana was the European Youth Capital and we counted over 1600 activities. The need has arisen, not only for accommodation and food, where Tirana today is a champion for new hotels and impressive restaurants, but also for spaces where conventions, congresses, seminars, various organized groups, doctors' and engineers' congresses can be gathered. , of urban planners. The request of this competition was to give us a solution for the private part, the residential part, but also for a part that will be the city's dowry,