Type
civic and education

Source
international competition with pre registration, 1st prize

Client
Albania and the School of Magistrates

Address/Site
Tirana, Albania

Site area
12.400 m2

Building area
3.808 m2

Total floor area
8.200 m2

Storeys
3

Program
Supreme Court, offices and administration, conference hall, classrooms, cafe

Structure
existing building: two proposed structural cores
courtrooms: light tubular steel structure
school: conventional concrete shear wall structure

Cladding
existing building: insulating plaster
courtrooms and school: glass, light tubular steel elements

Architect
SADAR+VUGA (Jurij Sadar, Boštjan Vuga, Kenneth Woods, Gregor Bucik, Jure Sadar, Grega Mervič, Blaž Lozej)

PRG*B R (Florian Pollo, Dorian Tytymçe)

Environmental
Transsolar (Markus Krauss)

Landscape
Darja Matjašec

Construction Engineer
Elea iC (Anjo Žigon), Klodioda (Ylli Karapici)

Cultural Heritage Expert
Luise Rellensmann, Frida Pashako

SADAR+VUGA and the local partners PRG*B R have been awarded first prize for the new Headquarters for the Supreme Court and School of Magistrates in Tirana, Albania. The 2-stage architecture competition attracted over 30 international teams, and for the final jury decision, five were chosen to present their work to a public audience on Friday, December 11th.

Albania as a recent Candidate Country for the EU membership is undergoing crucial steps to transform its Judicial System to operate at the highest level of democratic standards. The proposal by Sadar+Vuga and PRG*B R converts an existing three thousand square meter historic building to be used for judicial offices and administration, a new addition of four pavilion-like courtrooms in the nature, and a three thousand educational block for the School of Magistrates. Together these three structures will become mechanisms of justice, efficiency, and transparency.

Located on the periphery Grand Park Tirana, the tranquility of the forest and the strength of the existing Italian Rationalist structure by Cesare Valle define the character of the site. This character is one of remoteness, an urban oasis of sorts. It is close enough to see the city, while being removed from the noise and commotion of every day urban life.

It is the role of the architecture to enhance the best qualities of the natural setting and introduce the liveliness of the city to the site. Therefore an urban strategy was developed that would create an animated urban square, an efficient and independent educational facility, well organized administration spaces for judges and their staff, and four secure but transparent courtrooms with a view into the nature. The project places the architectural objects in a campus-like relationship to one another, using density to preserve and enhance the qualities of the natural setting. It gives one the feeling of entering nature, stepping back to seek the truth.