Shqipëria 2030/ AKPT

One Competition. Two Juries. One Shared Vision.

One of the innovations of the International Design Competition for the Masterplan of Aleksandër Moisiu University Campus was the introduction of two parallel juries.

The International Jury: Christian Kerez, Wilfried Kuehn, Lorena del Río (Chair), Pier Paolo Tamburelli, João Nunes, Mirela Kumbaro, Shkëlqim Fortuzi, Emiriana Sako, and Adelajda Roka, evaluated the five finalist proposals and selected the winning masterplan. AKPT Director Adelina Greca, and a student representative participated throughout the process in advisory roles, without voting rights.

Working in parallel was, for the first time in an international design competition in Albania, a Student Jury composed of students from Aleksandër Moisiu University. Reviewing the same five finalist proposals independently, they developed their own assessment and submitted an advisory report to the International Jury before the final decision.

The Student Jury was one of two innovations proposed by a group of ETH Zürich students, who also helped the UAMD students organise their own deliberation process and evaluation methodology.

Although the two juries worked independently, they reached the same conclusion.

Both selected “Tokë Bukë” by 51N4E + Jeshile + Blerta Kambo as the strongest proposal.

Universiteti "Aleksandër Moisiu" Durrës AKPT / NTPA Agjencia e Zhvillimit të Territorit Ministria e Arsimit Bashkia Durrës Mirela Kumbaro Emiriana Sako Wilfried Kuehn .seidolli

WINNER: 51N4E + Jeshile + Blerta Kambo

As part of the International Design Competition for the Masterplan of Aleksandër Moisiu University Campus, “Tokë Bukë”, the winning proposal by Team 51N4E, presents a vision in which the campus grows through a direct relationship with land, water, and landscape. Rather than seeing the university as a collection of buildings, the project imagines it as an ecological, social, and territorial system that evolves together with its environment and surrounding community.

At the heart of the proposal is the idea of a productive landscape. Water is treated not as a problem to be removed, but as the key to regenerating fertile land and creating a resilient environment. Gardens, canals, cultivated plots, and light structures shape a campus where learning, nature, and everyday life become inseparable. Architecture becomes part of the landscape, creating an open, adaptable campus capable of evolving over time.

The Jury particularly appreciated the proposal’s visionary character, its clear long-term strategy, and its capacity to grow over time while remaining coherent. It praised the use of landscape as the starting point for the urban vision, the transformation of water management into the project’s guiding principle, and the quality of its open spaces in fostering campus life. In its final decision, the Jury unanimously selected the proposal for its realistic implementation framework, careful reading of the existing landscape, integration of existing buildings, and its ability to extend beyond the competition site to guide the development of the wider territory.

The proposal was also selected as the winner by the Student Jury, composed of UAMD students who served as an advisory body alongside the International Jury. The alignment between the two verdicts highlighted the strength of Tokë Bukë’s vision and its ability to resonate with the next generation of architects and urban designers.

Universiteti "Aleksandër Moisiu" Durrës AKPT / NTPA Ministria e Arsimit
51N4E JESHILE Landscape Design Blerta Kambo

FINALIST: Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) + Kristo Krisiko + Architevo Design Collective + Embrace IDEAS + Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) + HSC Studio + Ergys Caushi

As part of the International Design Competition for the Masterplan of Aleksandër Moisiu University Campus, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) proposes a campus with a strong architectural identity rooted in the Mediterranean tradition. The masterplan is conceived as an open system of porticos, public squares, and shaded spaces where architecture and landscape merge into a shared learning environment.

At the heart of the proposal is the concept of the Alexander Quotient (AQ), which suggests that learning happens not only inside classrooms or outdoors, but in the spaces between them. Continuous arcaded porticos create this “third space,” where movement, encounter, and social exchange become part of the educational experience. The library stands at the centre as the university’s civic landmark, while a dense forest-like park forms the collective heart of campus life.

The proposal combines architecture with social, environmental, and economic sustainability strategies. Student residences, a hotel, an innovation centre, sports facilities, and multifunctional buildings are designed to help the campus become financially self-sustaining, while an integrated landscape and water management system strengthens climate resilience and long-term adaptability.

The Jury particularly appreciated the proposal’s iconic character and its ability to establish a strong identity for the campus. It highlighted the central forest-like park as a collective gathering space, the library as the symbolic and functional heart of the university, and the project’s exploration of threshold spaces between architecture and landscape, as well as between interior and exterior environments. The Jury also praised the clarity of the masterplan and its potential to become a compelling architectural experiment.

Universiteti "Aleksandër Moisiu" Durrës AKPT / NTPA Ministria e Arsimit
BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group Bjarke ingels Architevo Design Collective HSC studio Ergys Caushi

FINALIST: FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol + Porras & La Casta Arquitectos + Studio B&L + Agim Seranaj + Adrian Paci

As part of the International Design Competition for the Masterplan of Aleksandër Moisiu University Campus, Team FRPO’s “The Form Between Things” proposes a campus where architecture is defined not only by buildings, but by the public spaces that connect them.

The university is conceived as a civic extension of Durrës, embedded within its landscape and future urban development. Existing and new buildings are arranged as independent objects within a Mediterranean park, while campus life unfolds along a central public spine composed of agoras, pergolas, gardens, shaded spaces, water features, and artistic interventions by Adrian Paci. Rather than celebrating individual buildings, the proposal places the collective public realm at the centre of the university experience.

Inspired by the layered history of Durrës and its Mediterranean identity, the project preserves the existing campus, builds upon the site’s water systems and landscape, and establishes a flexible framework capable of growing over time. As the title suggests, the proposal argues that the most important form is not the form of buildings themselves, but the spaces created between them.

The Jury particularly appreciated the proposal’s flexible masterplan and its plug-in strategy for future growth and adaptation. It praised the convincing approach to topography and water management, the elegant balance between architecture and landscape, and the performative landscape framework organised around the central Spine and pergola system. The proposal’s technical realism, together with its capacity to accommodate future expansion while maintaining coherence, was also recognised as one of its major strengths.

Universiteti "Aleksandër Moisiu" Durrës AKPT / NTPA Ministria e Arsimit
es Agim Seranaj Adrian Paci

FINALIST: Studio OZ + iRI + Felixx Landscape Architects & Planners + Studio Sabine Marcelis + BUROMILAN

As part of the International Design Competition for the Masterplan of Aleksandër Moisiu University Campus, Team OZ’s “Live-in Gardens” envisions a campus where student life becomes the main force shaping the entire urban structure.

Rather than treating education, housing, sports, and public space as separate components, the proposal weaves them together into a single, open and permeable environment where the campus functions as a vibrant urban neighbourhood. Students live, learn, work, and socialise within a network of courtyards, gardens, and public squares that create a continuous rhythm of campus life.

Inspired by the traditional Albanian oda and the layered identity of Durrës, the project translates ideas of hospitality, community, and exchange into a contemporary architectural language. Each courtyard has its own atmosphere and landscape identity, while together they form a campus where architecture, nature, and public life are closely intertwined. The proposal also embraces a flexible growth strategy, allowing the campus to evolve over time while maintaining its overall coherence.

The Jury particularly appreciated the way student housing became the central argument of the proposal, placing the experience of living on campus at the heart of its vision. It praised the project’s rich and inventive typological approach, its intimate and human scale, and the use of the dormitory unit as the fundamental building block from which the campus grows. The differentiation of the courtyards, each with its own identity, atmosphere, and opportunities for use, was also recognised as one of the proposal’s strongest qualities.

Universiteti "Aleksandër Moisiu" Durrës AKPT / NTPA Ministria e Arsimit
OZ iRI Felixx Landscape Architects : STUDIO SABINE MARCELIS : BUROMILAN Stefan de KoningBUROMILANnStefan de Koningity

FINALIST: PRACTICA + Studio Rebus + Studio de Peisaj Ana Horhat + Ledia Kostandini

As part of the International Design Competition for the Masterplan of Aleksandër Moisiu University Campus, PRACTICA presents a vision for an open, flexible campus capable of evolving together with the university and the city.

Entitled “Quad of Quads”, the proposal reinterprets the traditional university quad as a network of interconnected courtyards. Each courtyard develops its own identity while accommodating learning, research, student housing, public life, and nature. Rather than an isolated academic enclave, the project proposes an accessible and vibrant piece of the city that encourages interaction between students, faculty, and the wider community.

Inspired by the historic marshland landscape of Durrës, the project transforms water management, biodiversity, and ecological restoration into defining elements of campus life. Landscape is conceived not as a backdrop, but as an active infrastructure supporting both environmental performance and everyday university life.

The Jury praised the proposal’s systematic and modular strategy, highlighting its capacity to grow and adapt over time. It also appreciated the diversity of the courtyards, the continuous permeability of the ground floor, and the project’s clear structural logic. One of its most distinctive qualities, according to the Jury, was its willingness to challenge and reinterpret the traditional university quad as a more open and evolving model for campus development.

Universiteti "Aleksandër Moisiu" Durrës AKPT / NTPA Ministria e Arsimit
PRÁCTICA STUDIOREBUS lediakostandini