From Kastriot Kotoni
Part Two
Memorie.al / On May 6, 1971, in Tirana, in the lecture hall of the Great Palace of Culture, the first national meeting of architects, organized by the presidium of the League of Writers and Artists of Albania, began its proceedings. The meeting was attended by architects, construction engineers, sculptors, and painters, students of the architecture department of the State University of Tirana, and arts and literature workers. Among them were members of the Political Bureau of the Party’s Central Committee, Manush Myftiu, Ramiz Alia, and Spiro Koleka; members of the Party’s Central Committee, Dashnor Mamaqi, Fadil Paçrami, and Nexhmije Hoxha; the Minister of Education and Culture, Thoma Deliana; the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the People’s Council of the district, Myqerem Fuga; the Chairman of the League of Writers and Artists of Albania, Dhimitër Shuteriqi; the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Albanian Labor Youth Union, Agim Mero; and others.
Continued from the previous issue
Many examples from our practice clearly show that works which do not stand the test of time, even from an aesthetic standpoint, cannot be economical. We must not be overwhelmed by mistaken concepts and attitudes that equate the aesthetic requirements of architecture with excess expenditures.
The economic factor cannot and must not be turned into an end in itself in architecture. It must be viewed in a proper and logical relationship with all aspects of architecture, and not only for immediate needs, but for as distant a time as possible, because such is also the purpose of architectural works. An architectural critique, which in fact does not exist, would have helped immensely.
Thus, architect Mosko presents before the audience a democratic priority to advance Albanian architectural thought and its theoretical platform in accordance with the conditions and demands of the time. This type of meeting for creativity in architecture also serves this purpose.
The Italian journalist Indro Montanelli, in his book “ALBANIA ONE AND A THOUSAND,” when writing the chapter on Tirana, remains an open debate even today, which is why we quote it: “Because Tirana is a profoundly modern city, almost invented, like some American city that has replaced skyscrapers with minarets, its time has only two measures: the present and the future. The past does not exist. But the rest of the country does not follow this modernist endeavor, or at least, does not follow it at the same pace. And it threatens to leave Tirana isolated, like a European metropolis improvised in the middle of an African desert of sands, like a Rome or Paris that by some heavenly miracle has fallen into the middle of China. This is a political problem that must not be overlooked.”
Following the paper presented by architect Sokrat Mosko, the speech of architect Petraq Kolevica is of interest, who among other things says: “Our profession burdens us with great responsibility towards society. I dare say, even with greater responsibility than doctors or educators. It is no accident that the ancient Egyptians held the profession of architect as sacred. The great educational role of architecture was mentioned here. And I want to add that he who said ‘You can kill a man with the appearance of a building, just as you can kill him with an axe’ has not exaggerated much. If we think of it this way, we realize how great a responsibility we have towards society, which has placed in our hands a pencil and with it tens of millions of lek, has entrusted to us roads, buildings, greenery, cities, and villages. Knowledge of the history of arts and the history of architecture in particular as a tool for interpreting today’s phenomena is lacking. Those few pieces of knowledge we have remain vague amidst the foggy memories from school. Generally, we work with fleeting impressions, from browsing magazines, without any critical appropriation guided by the general laws of art and science. Our judgment falls short: I like it; I don’t like it! Apart from gaps in technical culture, among us general culture has remained superficial and fragmentary.”
Kolevica’s critique seems to go even further, on the issue of architects’ culture as a necessity for them to be the most cultured part of our country’s intellectuals; we should have no illusion of any noticeable change in architecture, he adds. Among other things, this is achieved through specialization, but while doctors go abroad by conveyor for specializations in various fields with optimal timeframes, for architects this problem seems to have been solved by sending them with the pavilions of the Chamber of Commerce, or some such other errand. On these occasions, they glance hastily at a couple of airports or train stations, superficially observe city streets and building facades – in the best case, they take a few photographs and come back faster than they went. Never has any architect been sent to study, for a specific period, the problems of building schools, hospitals, housing, or to see the resolution of urban planning issues in some foreign city.
Another paper, presented by architect Enver Faja, focuses on the issue of creating design bureaus in several districts of Albania. Another treatise by Enver Faja concerns the compositional aspect of residential centers with all their elements. The life of a neighborhood cannot develop if it lacks the necessary social facilities. “How can the residents of neighborhoods be satisfied, when 8-year schools are not built for them and children have to walk 1 km to get to school? Or, when residents are forced to go to the city to buy food items that they need daily. Has any thought been given, for example, to a place where children will play?”
Another paper on the architecture of greenery, presented by architect Vasilika Cicko, addresses the adaptation of the architectural work to its surrounding environment and the organic connection it should create with nature. “Greenery, as a plastic object, enlivens architecture, gives it life, creates a romantic and relaxing atmosphere.”
The paper of sculptor Kristaq Rama begins with the best examples of human heritage in the field of construction, even, as he says; “from the first settlements, which the ancient inhabitant adorned with various figures and decorations, right through to the brightest periods of architectural development in the great epochs, they testify that architecture and the figurative arts have attracted and, in many cases, complemented each other. The very fact that today’s Tirana, of 200,000 inhabitants, has remained with two central squares inherited from the past, without being able to create other focal points that correspond to the intensity of the socio-economic and cultural development of the capital, undeniably testifies to problems still unresolved by our urban planning, which, consequently, also excludes the possibility of the harmonious development of the genres of decorative monumental arts. But since Tirana does not set an example in this direction, because it has no plaster, or only silicate bricks, we are left to acknowledge what is evident and the flaw of constructions in our capital: the lack of correct scientific criteria in the study of residential quarters with all the components needed by the people of our days,” concludes Kristaq Rama.
Architect Ilir Fico presents on the issue of furniture in dwellings, on creating pleasant interiors. He advocates for the wide participation of architects in the design and creation of new furniture that is both economical and aesthetic; in this way, usable spaces will be better optimized. “The resident, as ‘homus economicus’, strives to ration the space of his dwelling as best as possible. The schematism in furniture production is ten years behind. What is meant is the move away from furnishing with cushions toward sofas, sideboards, wardrobes, and armchairs of a single model.”
Painter Foto Stamo clearly emphasizes the idea that we artists consider architecture as art, including it within the fold of other arts. “Often in our discussions on problems of the figurative arts, especially the applied arts, we have also touched upon architecture, viewing it as a mother who holds in her bosom also the genres of figurative art. The opinion that: ‘now is not the time to place aesthetic demands before our designers and architects,’ I believe does not stand the test of time. Often you hear opinions not only from artists but also from the masses, that when you are in Lushnje, you feel as if you are in Fier or in Shkodër. The architect is not a mechanical copier, but a creative artist, who thinks and creates compositional variety in his works and projects. We artists have always raised and considered necessary the issue that in architectural projects there should also be room for the work of figurative art, especially works of applied art.”
Another aspect touched upon by Foto Stamo is the use of colors. “There is noticeable concern about the plastering and coloring of buildings. If we take a look at both the city of Tirana and other cities, completely pale colors dominate, in approximate ranges, monotonous and anemic. The color scheme of the city and of new buildings, as well as for old ones, must be resolved correctly and carefully.”
Architect Niko Titka begins his paper as follows: “Today the architect forms the frameworks of the lives of future generations. He must therefore know not only the needs of today and be able to solve them, but also foresee the needs of the future and the means of action, to look with the mind into the future by creating the possibility for the future. Factors of rapid population growth and even more so of technical development and revolution.” According to Niko Titka, by the year 2000, over a period of nearly 30 years, the population of our country will reach about 3-3.5 million people. Like Leonardo da Vinci, observing the events that follow, the cases, and the discoveries, he said: “Sometimes it seems to me that there is no present. The past merges with the future. There is only yesterday and tomorrow.”
Architect Kostaq Sahatçiu has focused on industrial architecture and gives examples of solving many problems in cooperation with technologists and engineers. Likewise, architect Koço Miho begins his discussion with appreciation for architects, but at the same time expresses his observations. “From the global, urbanistic perspective of the whole, we still have lacks in studies, lacks in creativity, monotony, for which the Central Committee has criticized us in time. Naturally, one cannot openly oppose beauty, but economic factors, industrialization, etc., are put forward. Such a concept is the poor appreciation given to the aesthetic aspects of architecture, in relation to other factors.” / Memorie.al
