A Tirana primary school has won an award for its architecture in the 2020 International Architecture Awards.
The Servete Maci school on Rruga e Dibres was completed in 2019 and comprises 18 classrooms, 5 laboratories, one gym, an auditorium, library, 8 music rooms, administrative spaces, restrooms and other technical spaces related to the purpose of the building. It also enjoys an internal/external courtyard.
Over 100 buildings and urban planning projects from 38 countries have been honoured in this year’s awards. The annual programme is organised by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
“It is our intention that these awards uncover the world’s most innovative and visionary architecture and their professional practices, as well as spark local and global debates about the positive impact that well-designed buildings and places can have on local communities and the environment,” said Christian Narkiewicz-Laine, Architecture Critic and President of The Chicago Athenaeum.
Servete Maci won in the Schools and Universities category alongside projects from the UK, China, Germany, Mexico and South Korea.
StudioArch4 designed the project. Previously Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj had claimed the school was designed by new graduates. On inauguration day, Veliaj said:
“This school was designed by architecture students who just graduated. Part of our Pact with Students and University was embodied in this experiment.”
Exit found that in fact, the four project designers had graduated in 2012 and two of them were former Municipality of Tirana employees, before and after they won the project. It was actually a company called Arkonstudio that won the tender for EUR 44,500 but when Exit tried to contact them, the number did not exist. StudioArch4 then displayed the plan on their website and claimed that Arkonstudio had “subcontracted” them to complete the work.
Shareholder of StudioArch4 Gjergi Dushniku is the former head of Architecture and Urban Projects at the Municipality and was in his role at the time the project was won. Second shareholder, Klaudjo Cari also worked at the Municipality in the same department as Dushniku.
