MR5725

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IDEAL CLIMATE FOR AGRICULTURE

Vlora Bay!
A blooming city
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SECOND HARBOUR OF ALBANIA

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AIR POLLUTION
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UNREGULATED URBAN SPRAWL CENTRAL PARK OPPORTUNITY

NON-FUNCTIONING WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT - NOT CONNECTED TO THE NETWORK WATER CONTAMINATION SPECIFIC IDENTITY WITH ANCIENT HISTORY

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LACK OF PARKING SPACES INCREASE IN TOURISM IlLEGAL CONSTRUCTION GREEN HILLSIDE SCENIC HARBOUR

DEFORESTATION

DAMAGED MARINE ECOSYSTEM

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FREQUENT TRAFFIC CONGESTION

Existing Territorial Analysis 1:25.000

STRENGTHS > REINFORCE

Poor Traf fi cM

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WEAKNESSES > STOP AND SOLVE

SECOND HARBOUR OF ALBANIA Vlora is the second largest port in Albania with fishing ports and holiday resorts.

SPECIFIC IDENTITY WITH ANCIENT HISTORY The city is rich with historical and archeological landmarks along with panoramic views of nature.

INCREASE IN TOURISM In the last 10 years the city's economy has been marked by a construction boom meet residential needs for an growing population and to accommodate an increase in tourism.

SCENIC HARBOUR Vlora harbour is located along the Adriatic coast in a scenic inlet surrounded by a landscape of beautiful of green hills.

GREEN HILLSIDE Vlora is encompassed by coastal mountains that are scattered with artifacts of cultural heritage to be discovered

IDEAL CLIMATE FOR AGRICULTURE Inland Vlora is well known in Albania for the production of quality olive oil, citrus fruits cultivations and vineyards.

Good Connection with Italy

There is a Ferry connecting Vlore with Brindisi twice a day.

Good Inter-Urban Connection

The city is benefiting from local and international tourism, commonly from areas with Albanian minority communities such as Kosovo and Macedonia.

Architectural Seeds

WATER CONTAMINATION Runoff and groundwater have been effected by the presence of an abandoned PVC factory with residual soil contamination and an active incinerator that lacks necessary filters to control toxic emissions.

AIR POLLUTION Smog produced by older model and heavy automobiles impacts the quality of life for residents and visitors

UNCONTROLLED URBAN SPRAWL The lack of an effective regional plan has allowed urban sprawl to increase throughout Vlora leading to a loss of valuable agricultural land.

LACK OF PARKING SPACES Insufficient public funds to allocate towards the upgrade and expansion of existing infrastructure is a major concern.

DEFORESTATION Without a sufficient planning guide many forested areas have been cleared to build new houses to accommodate the growing population.

ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION The absence of an overall masterplan has led to the unregulated development of informal and illegal structures in areas of scenic and ecological significance that should be protected, managed and restored

DA M AG E D MARITIME ECOYSTEM The uncontrolled discharge of waste water into the sea has degraded the coastal ecosystem.

FREQUENT TRAFFIC CONGESTION The current congestion and poor condition of existing road infrastructures has contributed to many car accidents and hindered local buisness development.

Inadecuate Energy Supply The available energy supply is inadequate to support Vlora's growing economy.

Lack of Public Transit

Existing public transport provides a small portion of passengers trips and routes, while increasing car ownership levels contribute to local traffic congestion.

Wastewater Discharge Directly into the Sea

Environmental degradation and public sanitation are a serious concern. There are about 17 sewage channels that release directly into the sea with inevitable side effects to the marine ecosystem.

Poor Traffic Management

The tunneled roadway connecting Vlore to Saranda, and continuing on towards the Greece, is inadequate to support an increase in freight traffic.

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Kit of Architectural Seeds

Structural

Production

Attraction

Authoctonous

City Infrastructure

Self-sufficient

New Use

Cultural Exchange

For the regeneration of the Vlora Bay the project will provide a Kit of Architectural Seeds. These seeds will be planted in the different zones of the site to colonize individual spaces. The seeds are planted as an active response to the specific weaknesses found in each area. The solution to each problem can be provided in several ways. The classification system in Vlora Bay organizes the seeds by their main function. This way we can observe Structural Seeds, Production Seeds, Attraction Seeds and Authoctonous Seeds. Different types of spatial relationships emerge depending on seed pairings. Each seed type is reliant on the others to continue growing and recreate Vlora Bay.

Seed Organigramm

City Infrastructure

Structural

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A B

Public Transport Seed

Service areas Seed

Green belt Seed Road Infrastructure Seed Urban Agriculture Seed Lighting Seed

International Sports

Sea Promenade Seed

Street Furniture Seed Tide Collector and energy producer Seed

Local Market

Authoctonous
Cultural exchange

Vlora Bay
Attraction
New Use

Production
Self-sufficient
Gastronomical Seed Cleaning Beaches Seed Water Cleaning Seed Sport Facilities Seed Extensive Tree Planting Seed National Library Wind Collector and energy producer Seed Solar Roof and energy producer Seed Water Playground Seed Nautic Port Seed Nightlife Seed National Museum

Connector Seed Water Collector Seed Parking Seed

Opera House

Landscape Leisure Seed

Project Development
Ancient History Strong Identity
Demolition of illegal buildings Vlora needs a CHANGE!! Reforestation Seaside Promenade

Phase
The Seafront has a second chance !! New Marina Reforestation Seaside Promenade Parking area Transversal connections Energy Generator

1st

Growing Ecosystem

Phase
New Harbour Area Reforestation Seaside Promenade Parking area Transversal connections Energy Generator

3rd

Origin of the City

Italian Occupation

Ottoman Occupation

Albanias Independence

Communism

Uncontrolled Urban Sprawl

Tourist Center

Phase

2nd

Space for new uses !!

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1912

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1997

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2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

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Parking Area If you decide to bring your car to the Beach you will find several Parking Areas where you can forget about the traffic and enjoy your Beach Day.

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Tree refosrestation Lets give the wilderness its place back. Once the illegal constructions are gone the forest can grow again. Public Transport Help us to create a Greener Vlora! Leave your car a home and commute easily along the coast with the BeachBus

Vlora Bay!
A blooming city
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Tidal Stream Generator The energy of Vlora Bay comes from Nature. A line of Tidal Stream Generators located 40m below sealevel will be on charge of part of this task. They will be placed in the northern end of the bay, so don't worry, you can enjoy the Aquatic Fauna and rocky shores of the Bay. Green Spaces Enjoy Nature and the Sea at the same time. Read a book under the shadow of a tree or have a Sunday Picnic at the Park.
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Aquatic Transport Are you looking for an enjoyable trip along Vlora Bay? Take the AquaBus!

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Exotic Vlora The city will have a place for intense cultural exchange. The harbour will be the gateway to the city. Wind Turbines In Vlora Bay we use all our resources, including the wind to produce energy. Water Cleaning We care about our Sea, so we clean the water that runs into it.

Connectors The city has accesses into the Sea through floating pathways.

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Solar Roofs The Sun can be use as an energy generator and in Vlora we have plenty of it, so let's use it!

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300-600 m

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Enjoy the Landscape From here you can enjoy the best sunsets in Vlora!

Planting Diagram

Abstraction of the Site

Public Transport

Parking Area

A
Road Infrastructure Seafront Promenade Tree Repopulation

B
Water Purification Green Areas Urban Agriculture Wind Turbines Tidal Stream Generators Solar Roofs Viewing Platform Nautic Sports Sport Facilities Gastronomy Lighting Water Playground Night Life Urban Furniture National Museum International Sports Local Market Opera House National Library

Connectors

View from the Harbour

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300-600 m

The Green Beach

1.2 KM

300-600 m

300-600 m

The Sea Gate Vlora Park

0.4 KM

300-600 m

The Marina

0.9 KM

5KM

300-600 m

The Holiday Everyday

2.2 KM

300-600 m

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The Untouched Land

1.3 KM

A Project for a Bay

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Vlora Bay!
A blooming city

Vlora Bay!
A Blooming City
For the City of Vlora the Sea is a reference point. Most of the leisure and economic activities are related to the Sea, from fishing to tourist resorts. But they were not respectful towards this gift and they did not take care of it as they should. With this project the city has a second chance to grow something from the landscape from which they belong. For this restoration, they will use the Kit of Architectural Seeds. Each Seed will be placed at strategic points to create a basic structure for the redevelopment of the Waterfront. The Waterfront wil be divided into different segments with diverse atmospheres; The Green Beach, The Sea Gate at Vlora Park, The Holiday, Everyday and an Untouched Land. In the Green Beach, the project will focus on the cleaning of stormwater using wetland systems, and the existing beach will be remain intact. The aim is to provide the city of a proper urban beach. For the Sea Gate at Vlora Park, the project looks for an international, cultural exchange where foreigners can get to know the culture of Vlora and Albania. The harbour is preserved as a tourisitic port with adjacency to the new nautical sports marina. In the Holiday, Everyday segment, tourist will find everything they need to enjoy their time in Vlora. The Untouched Land will be a Nature Reserve where visitors can only access from the Seaside.

Green Beach

Touristic Harbour

1. T he G reen Beach

2. T he Sea Ga te a

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liday, Everyday 3. The Ho
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Nautic Marina

he U nto u c h ed La n

Vloras Waterfront will enjoy a diversity of environments. From an Untouched Nature Reserve on the Southern edge to Vlora Park's international Sea Gate, and from the Holiday, Everyday to the lush Green Beach extension.

The Atmospheres

To Durres To the Fishing Harbour

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Service Road

To Sarande

For the mobility on the Waterfront, we propose to create a bypass road that will separate the vehicular traffic from the seaside. The exixting seaside road will be converted into a pedestrian boulevard with a service road allowing slower traffic in both directions. Additionally, Vlora Bay creates a public transit network along the coast employing both watertaxis and buses.

The Mobility System

Vloras promenade will integrate circulation from two directions, longitudinally it will connect the 5 Km of coast from North to South and transversally the promenade will sew the city to the sea through floating bridges.

The Promenade

General Plan 1:5.000

Seaside extension

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Mineral Baths

Viewing Platform

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Solar Roof

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A B
Connectors

Vlora Bay!
A blooming city
Public Transport

Road Infrastructure

Parking Area

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Tree Repoblation

Seafront Promenade

Wetland

Water Purification

Wind Turbines

Tidal Stream Generator

The Green Beach

Complementing the Urban Life
Environmental degradation and public hygiene conditions are a serious concern. There are about 17 sewerage channels that discharge directly into the sea with inevitable damage to the marine ecosystem. Moreover, groundwater contamination from industrial and domestic sewage has made much of the citys water supply unfit for drinking. To change this situation, the Vlora Bay will implement a natural system for cleaning contaminated water. The Green Beach is a place dedicated to water remediation. At the Green Beach, we propose a system of wetlands that uses plant cycles to clean runoff, groundwater and soil high in mercury. The Wetlands will run along the pedestrain walkway, integrating it as part of the landscape within this coastal zone. A coastal forest is also proposed at the Green Beach, continuing the northern edge of existing woods by replating trees along the coast. Additionally, the Green Beach will generated energy through tide movements using Tidal Stream Generators placed at a depth of 40 m below sea level. N

Segment 1 1:2.000

The form of green energy generation is a machine that extracts energy from moving masses of water, in particular tides. These type is the cheapest and the least ecologically damaging among the three main forms of tidal power generation. Tidal Stream Generators are very similar to the Wind turbines, but more efficient due to the density of the water.

Tidal Stream Generator

LITTORAL ZONE
SAND FILTER POLISHING

STORMWATER WETLAND CLEANSING & AERATION

PREVENTION SEDIMENTATION

INPUTS

PIPE TO THE CONNECTOR SEED

Tidal Stream Generator

Tree Repopulation

Bike Path Complete Streets

Leisure Platform

Wind Turbines

Parking line

Beach

Solar Roof

As an integral parts of the remediation strategy for flood mitigation and edge erosion control, the stormwater wetlands are envisioned as both an infrastructural tool and recreational opportunity. This section explores the relationships between the components of a functioning wetland.

Section A-A 1:500

Existing Apartment Building

Water Remediation

Seaside Promenade

Stormwater Wetland

View of the Wetlands

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Parking Area

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Public Transport

Vlora Bay!
B

A blooming city

National Library

Water Remediation

Connectors

Green Areas

Tree Repopulation Wind Turbines

Road Infrastructure

Local Market Gastronomy Water Playground

National Museum

Water Purification

Green Areas

Seafront Promenade

B
Solar Roofs

Connectors

Public Transport

Nautic Sports Sport Facilities

The Sea Gate Vlora Park

The Magic Overlap
The city has the second largest harbour in Albania which is also a fishing port and holiday resort. Vlora is rich in historical and archeological landmarks, as well as views of the beautiful natural landscape. These features make it one of the most attractive tourist centers in the eastern region of the Mediterranean Sea. The city is benefiting from local and international tourism, mainly from Kosovo and Macedonia where many Albanian ethic minority live. The city harbour is the actual gate to Europe, connecting Albania to Italy. The project intents to develop an area to allow different cultures can meet. The Sea Gate is where travelers can get to know the Albania and have a culturally enriching experience. Surrounding the Harbour area, an artistic and cultural neighbordhood will be encouraged to grow. With flexible streets that host outdoor performances , cultural events, concerts, artistic exhibitions, etc. As part of the Sea Gate Vlora Park, we propose the integration of a new touristic Marina adjacent the existing Ferry Harbour. This will attract nautical sport activities such as Windsurfing, Kitesurfing, Parasailing, and more. N
A B
Urban Furniture

Solar Roofs

Segment 2 Plan 1:2.000

Connectors

Small wind turbines are employed to charge auxiliary batteries on boats and hybrid caravans, or to power traffic warning signs. Slightly larger turbines can be used for making modest inputs to a domestic power supply or to sell surplus power back to the utility supplier. Wind energy can contribute to the self-sufficiency and sustainability of the Vlora waterfront.

Wind Turbines

Section B-B 1:500

Existing Apartment Building

Seaside Promenade Wind Turbines

Cultural Exchange Area

Touristic Harbour

Complete Streets

Leisure Platform

Leisure Platform

Wind Turbines

Service Road

Green Space

Bike Path

Many landscape elements help manage stormwater runoff. Bioswales, green space, rain gardens, and street trees are all mutually beneficial for mobility and ecology. These green elements are increasingly found to be important deterrents of collisions and accidents, and contribute to a more comfortable and visually interesting environment for all users.

Pedestrian Walkway

Gastronomical Area

"Complete Streets"

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Vlora Bay!
A blooming city
Sport Facilities Solar Roofs

Parking Area

Connectors

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Hotel Urban Agriculture

The Holiday, Everyday

Potentials of the Seafront
Currently, the tourism segment represents about half of the local economy. Huge investments have been made recently to increase the housing stock for residents and improve the hotel and restaurant markets. However, more needs to be done to meet the demands of sophisticated tourist and to compete with similar tourism hotspots along the Adriatic coast. In particular, tourist attraction should be based on a variety of services and amenities to be offered to tourists. These conveniences should be built on the valorization of the coastal mountain area and the discovery of the regional cultural heritage. Vlora Bay proposes to improve the existing beach facilities and consolidate the narrowest part of the coast line creating an airy platform where visitors can enjoy the sunset, practice yoga, sunbathing or just breath the fresh air. The Holiday Everyday aims to bring people into contact with the sea. A series of connections distribute tourist and residents along the seaside for unique experiences. These connectors allow pedestrians to transition further into the sea simply walking.
Gastronomy

Parking Area

Green Areas

Solar Roofs

Parking Area

Wind Turbines

The main goal of the project is to bring the people to the water through a series of connectors stretching from the shore into the sea. This elements will link the city to the Sea in the transversal direction. The connectors also attract flexible uses. For instance, the distribution of public transit stops and the floating platforms allowing people can sun bath or just enjoy the sea in different ways.

Connectors

Connectors

Road Infrastructure

Solar Roofs

The sun is a natural energy source that can be collected using photovoltaic cells. By placing Solar Collectors along the beach areas, they can be used for both energy collection and sunshading (i.e. parasol elements).

Solar Roof

Segment 3 1:2.000
Gastronomical Area Existing Apartment Building Seaside Promenade Wind Turbines Complete Streets Leisure Platform Wind Turbines New Waterline

In Vlora nothing goes to waste! When it rains the water is collected, cleaned and reused to water the urban agriculture fields. The vegetables produced in these gardens will supply local restaurants in the area.

Bike Path

Walkway

Water Purification

Service Road

Green Space

Solar Roofs

Section C-C 1:500