Re-use and Revitalization of Military Bunkers in the Albanian Rivera

The Albania of today is littered with many used and unused buildings - such as bunkers, former industrial buildings - places and spaces which are the legacy of almost 50 years of communist rule. However, these structures are only part of the vision that dictator Enver Hoxha had for the future of Albania during The Cold War. The other portion of the story is partially or fully underground, hidden within subterranean bunkers and tunnels built to protect Albanians in the event of an invasion or aerial attack. Some of these reinforced concrete structures were created to shelter civilians, but most were designed for military training, storage and guns for the defense of the Albanian motherland. These were the most visible and substantial ‘products’ of the intensive industrialization program, today appearing like mushrooms dotted across the Albanian landscape. The reuse of these buildings in the Albanian Riviera is a major design challenge key to any larger agenda regarding Albania’s emerging identity in terms of design and development, urban or otherwise.