
Two architects, one Spanish and the other Albanian, will design the Ethnographic Museum of Tirana, in the place where the "Tirana Palaces" are located.
The tender opened by the Municipality of Tirana has declared this "couple" the winner, who have also divided the percentages of the work.
According to documents available to the VoxNews editorial team, the firm "ARCHISPACE" owned by Albanian Rais Petrela and "Elena Casanova Garcia", an Albanian citizen, were the only ones in the competition, requesting 60 thousand euros to carry out this work, out of 65 thousand which was the limit fund. Petrela will do 80% of the design, while Garcia will carry out 20%.
The above document is the announcement of the winner of the tender with the object "Study-design restoration of the Ethnographic Museum of Tirana".
These individuals have 8 months to complete the project, while the accompanying documents state that the building where the Ethnographic Museum will be located is "Sarajet e Tiranas", a building that has been declared a cultural monument.
"The palaces were built around 1833-1840 and are one of the few feudal palaces preserved in Albania. In the first phase of its construction, it had a veranda and a porch in the main hall. On the first floor are the auxiliary premises, while on the second floor are the living rooms and service annexes," these documents state.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the building was also the headquarters of the US legation. "The buildings are adorned with various decorations. They constitute an architectural complex with walls, courtyards, wells, roads, large gates, apartments and auxiliary facilities. The apartment has a 'Hamamxhik', a small-sized hammam inside."
The documents also contain a history of the building's use. "From the examination of the archival material, it is noted that over the years this structure has been used in
various periods for various functions.
In the 18th century, it was the home of the Toptani family, and in the 19th century, it was the property of the Libohova family.
In the years 1925-1928 the United States Embassy, ??until 1939 the National Library during the reign of King Zog.
"Under communism, it was used as a library, in 1963 as the offices of the Institute of Cultural Monuments, and in 1973 the building was categorized as a cultural monument," the documents state.
Meanwhile, after the 1990s, the building was returned to its owners and in 2013 it was used as a Bar Restaurant. As of 2021, the building will return to the ownership of the Municipality of Tirana. "The space in question will be returned to the Ethnographic Museum of Tirana, considering its strategic position in the center of Tirana. The main building has an area of ??about 1050 m2, composed of two floors. The auxiliary building has an area of ??about 250 m2, composed of one floor," the documents state.
The specifications also detail the existing condition, where the building has damage to the adobe walls visible on the facades in the southern part. "There is damage to the ceiling and floor finishes. It should be noted that the 2019 earthquake left some traces of damage to the masonry, but mainly with falling plaster or cracks in it.
The designers, according to the documents, must draft a plan of measures to carry out restoration and conservation interventions in the Sarajev building, as well as musealization (design the division of the internal museum spaces) to create a friendly environment for tourists, with various themes related to ethnography in the Tirana area.
"Transformation of the Museum as an attractive point for various activities that can be included in the program (open bar, recreational space, rest space, educational space, etc.)" these documents state.
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