Finalizing the series of winners of the competition on revisioning the Peja city centre, the winning proposal from architects Fatlum Radoniqi, Arben Verzivolli and Kastriot Jaka was highly regarded for the “simplicity and neutrality” of their approach. Among 14 proposals that were submitted, this winning collaboration struck the jury with a design that was “as much pragmatic as it was poetic and artistic”-city officials have cited. Below find the exclusive images and description as submitted by the architects.

Situated at the very heart of the city centre, the specific location of the site and the spatial program requirement of the project, requires finding of a solution which will allow free movement in all directions and using the whole surface of the site, in order to preserve the public character of the city centre and assure the interlacing of the different content. The actual state of the site is very one sided, facing only the corso in the north. The new proposal of the regulatory plan for the city centre foresees the development of the river bank in the south of the site. The new build quay will need to establish some sort of the connection to the corso.

Our urban proposal links these two together in a way which will appeal both to the city and the owners of the site. Our proposal foresees the connection of the two main parallels running communication lines, through a new communicating surface, the patio. More than being just a linking knot for the quay and the corso, this patio will generate a completely new zone for the city with own character and a complementary quality to the qualities of the quay and the corso.

This new zone will open up new business possibilities for the owners of the parcels, due to the better accessibility of the same. Parcels which are only north oriented will get south access and orientation, and the other way around. Based on the proposed value of max 60 % for the usage of the ground for the buildings footprint, we have tried to achieve the maximal occupancy for every single parcel enabling the owners to use maximum of their ground in the best possible way. One of our main architectural and urban goals on this project was to create a certain identity that will define the retail businesses as a group. In addition to the existing image of each shop, cafe etc. the image of the building will represent an additional value.

Shops which are big enough to be split in two are being enabled to do so vertically, due to the staircase which allows direct access from the ground level and separate sanitary. This feature will add more flexibility to the spatial usage and more options for the owners to choose the right one at the right time.

The continuous form of the hull is to be achieved through the division of the facade in elements of the same width. The idea of the facade element of the uniform width aims for the certain level of prefabrication and customization of the element. Prefabrication should lower the building cost, and customization would adapt better this element to the real needs of the owners, concerning the light, transparency, fresh air, maintenance of the facade etc. This would be an important step in including the owners in planning process.