Communism in Albania

This project was a proposal for a memorial competition, with the purpose to serve as a reminder of the communist regime in Albania. To serve as a reminder of a part of the past, we came into a conclusion, that the memorial itself should be a bridge. A bridge, where people would walk on their daily routine, and cross into a piece of history. We proposed the bridge to be placed on the Lana river, the main stream that crosses through Tirana, Albania’s capital city. The bridge is constructed by 47 concrete grids, which represent the 47 years of Albania’s harsh prison into the communist regime. From the outside, the grids have a linear form, but from the inside they rotate a little, from which seating areas were created. In the entrance, with huge capital letters it is written: A past, for not to be forgotten. When you get inside the bridge, you will go through the 47 years of prison, and remember the bitter past. But at the same time, the grids play with the beautiful natural light that comes in, which symbolizes hope; the hope that many Albanian people felt during that time. The hope that made it possible for them to cross that bridge today; and remember that time, for it to never happen again.