proposal for third campus of College of Europe in Tirana
combining albanian culture and EU ideologies
Reflecting EU democratic values, the campus is organized with distinct buildings dedicated to specific programs. A gateway building at the entrance houses public functions like an information center, museum, library, and event space. To the east, adjacent to a sports park, the university building contains classrooms, offices, and lecture halls, while a diplomatic building south of the campus includes a café, meeting rooms, and apartments for visiting diplomats. All buildings are centered around a circular agora’, a concrete dome reminiscent of Albania’s historic bunkers, designed for lectures, addresses, and performances.
the central dome, in a sandy-colored concrete, features arches around its perimeter
The layout for the College of Europe campus in Tirana promotes social interaction, with each floor leading users from the most social to the more private zones. The ground floor acts as a grand foyer that extends outward, connecting the buildings with a covered area and creating green roof terraces as an extension of the sports park. Inside, each building is organized to lead users from public areas to private spaces. Rooftops function as social spaces, while loggias on each floor serve as visual connectors between the buildings, fostering a sense of unity. The ‘agora’, designed with concentric seating, creates a communal experience, allowing for flexible use, from lectures to performances.
To that effect, unlike traditional auditoriums where the public is on one side and the stage on the other, the ‘agora’ organizes the public in concentric seating around a circular stage in a manner evoking ancient Greek theaters. This arrangement allows for a multitude of seating scenarios, each determined by the use of the space. For example, a university lecture or diplomatic address would require 2/3 of the seats to be occupied and a unidirectional use of the stage, however, a contemporary dance performance could have the entirety of the seats taken for a 360 experience of the show.
Oppenheim Architecture highlights the city’s social life
Meanwhile, the choice of materials, colors, and textures is influenced by Tirana’s architectural landscape, Albanian history, and the College of Europe’s EU ideologies. As a result, buildings and terraces are constructed from texturized, dark-red pigmented concrete. Inspired by the ‘Ode to Joy’ music sheet, the design playfully arranges structural and decorative elements, creating a harmonious look while also acting as brise-soleils to help regulate the buildings’ climate. The facades facing the agora are smooth and solid, ready for full-length murals by local artists that will interact with each other visually. The central dome, in a sandy-colored concrete, features arches of different sizes around its perimeter, offering both visual interest and a connection between the interior and exterior spaces.
brise-soleils create playful light and shadow patterns
‘agora’ organizes the public in concentric seating around a circular stage to evoke ancient Greek theaters
College of Europe combines EU ideologies and Albanian history
a cluser of dark-red concrete volumes
project info:
name: College of Europe – Tirana Campus | @collegeofeuropeofficial
architect: Oppenheim Architecture | @oppenheimarchitecture
location: Tirana, Albania
client: Adelina Greca, College of Europe
OA principals in charge: Chad Oppenheim, Beat Huesler
project manager: Alexandre Mecattaf
project contributers: Janet Vutcheva, Ece Emanetoglu
renderings: MIR | @mir.no
site area : 7,700 sqm
building area: 9,850 sqm
landscaping area: 5,500 sqm
Source link : https://www.designboom.com/architecture/oppenheim-tirana-college-of-europe-campus-cluster-dark-red-concrete-10-03-2024/
Author :
Publish date : 2024-10-03 09:51:36
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