The covert demolition of the National Theater by the government a year ago violated human rights, said architect Kreshnik Merxhani during Neritan Sejamini’s show “Me pak fjalë,” broadcast May 17 on Euronews Albania.
“The right to culture is closely tied to the [physical] object with which the community self-identifies,” the architect said.
As one such object, the National Theater should never have been destroyed, Merxhani proceeded to argue.
Merxhani explained that the destruction of cultural monuments during the Second World War was deemed in violation of human rights law, which was precisely the reason why UNESCO was founded in the first place. However, the targeting of cultural heritage happens routinely during times of peace as well.
“An attack on cultural heritage aims to undermine the dignity of society,” he stated.
The architect proceeded to describe the architectural relevance of the National Theater that was built during Italy’s occupation of Albania. The National Theater represented a blend of architectural styles, mixing rationalism and futurism marking a dividing line between two important phases in the monumental heritage of Tirana’s architecture according to Merxhani.
Furthermore, the building’s importance was also tied to the special construction materials that were used to build it.
The case for the preservation of the National Theater received international support, including by Europa Nostra that marked the building as one of Europe’s most endangered sites in March 2020.
Following two years of protests by civil society activists, the theater was demolished one year ago on May 17, 2020, in the early hours of the morning.
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