Learning from La Riviera. Landscape perception as a decoder to analyze and interpret the landscape experience of the motor tourist

Judging from the entries to the International Urban Design competition dedicated to the Albanian Southern Coast-Strip launched by Atelier Albania in October 2014, the most common trend among most teams was the desire to preserve the landscape of the entire Riviera and the proposals were very discreet, almost imperceptible. The only tangible sign expressing a conscious will to manage, through planning and design actions, the improvement of the urban condition in the old settlements and stimulate the economy for the entire region, was the proposal to introduce “land art” elements, new street furniture and road signage. Similarly the results and the general opinion of the jury and experts, showed a commitment to non-intervention. In short, no matter the political pressure to boost the economy through the development and strengthening of tourism along the Albanian Riviera and the related need to improve infrastructures and services, most planners, designers, architects and landscape designers that took part in the competition and presented a proposal, took a stand in favor of minimum impact-intervention. Among others, the zero-impact attitude adopted by the winning project for lot 2 (Burea Bas Smets – Vadim Vosters – Transsolar – Erik de Waele – Son Engineerin & Construction) stands out for its focus on landscape preservation. The chosen strategy to guarantee tourism throughout the year is to “reinforce the cultural landscape” by transforming the Albanian Southern Riviera into a DRIVER’S experience: like in the nostalgic French Riviera or, even better, in the spooky Mullholland drive in Los Angeles (a product of Hollywood movie industry, made popular worldwide by the cryptic David Lynch movie in 2001) the landscape is not accessible but it is reserved solely for gaze and contemplation (MARINI 2008 p. 309). Through popular precedents such as the French Riviera, the Pacific Coast Highway 1 and Mulholland Drive, and using as inspiration and interpretation tools the movies that transformed them into iconic experiences and established them as touristic attractions, this article intends to reflect upon the Riviera as a touristic landscape experience and on the use of landscape perception as a decoder to analyze and interpret the landscape experience of the motor tourist.