Butrint National Park Visitor Center International Design Competition
Overview
The ancient city of Butrint in southern Albania has been revered as a rare and inspirational place for much of human history; it is the most significant archaeological site in Albania and its chief cultural attraction.
To visit the surviving Epirot Theater, Roman Forum and early Byzantine Baptistery, along with other Hellenic, Roman, Byzantine, Angevin, Venetian and Ottoman monuments, is to tour a luminous timeline of Mediterranean culture and thought — all at a human scale and in the loveliest landscape and seascape.
Clockwise from top left: Existing site entrance and ticket office; View from Butrint’s ancient city to the Venetian Castle; Ferry crossing across the Vivari Channel; Epirot Theater in the ancient city
Inscribed as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site in 1992, Butrint is located approximately 20kilometers from the modern city of Sarandë, overlooking the Straits of Corfu. The ancient city is set within the wider Butrint National Park, an unspoilt and spectacular landscape endowed with hills, lakes, wetlands, salt marshes, plains, reed beds and coastal islands.
In 2020, recognizing Butrint’s vulnerability in the face of increasing visitor numbers (now multiplying post-pandemic) and environmental pressures, the Albanian Government approved the Butrint National Park Integrated Management Plan (2020−2030)to safeguard the site and promote sustainable community-based and environmentally sensitive tourism. The Plan led to the creation of a new autonomous body to oversee the site, the Butrint Management Foundation, which is chaired by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Albania.
The Butrint National Park Visitor Center International Design Competitionfocuses on a key element of the Plan: a visitor center of up to 1,000square meters. The center must receive, welcome and orient visitors, interpret the site, convey the Outstanding Universal Values of this World Heritage Site, and be a gateway to the wider National Park. It should also be a regional hub to promote other nearby natural and cultural visitor attractions.
The visitor center will be located approximately 1.5kilometers from the entrance to the ancient city, in a spectacular location with panoramic views overlooking the Vivari Channel and the Mediterranean Sea.
Practically, the center needs to serve as an educational forum, a workplace for Foundation staff and, importantly, be a community gathering place; it should also provide refreshment and a shop. Other aspects of the competition include a new or extended ticket office (including staff workspaces and support facilities); improvements to the core heritage area entrance and secure boundary; wayfinding and interpretation; and improved mooring facilities.
Initial funding of USD$2.45million has been secured, with the final budget (up to USD$4million) dependent on the winning design proposal and further engagement with project stakeholders.
Luigi Maria Ugolini with his team from the Italian Archaeological Mission in 1930. PHOTO: Institute of Archaeology, Tirana
The competition will also encourage participants to consider further opportunities within the wider park in the form of a landscape visioning masterplan, including a connectivity plan for the area between the visitor center and the core heritage area entrance. A proactive and forward-thinking approach to sustainability throughout will be key, to tackle the many challenges of the climate emergency, with rising sea levels being a particular threat to Butrint’s low-lying peninsula.
The remains of the Great Basilica in Butrint’s ancient city
This two-stage competition warmly welcomes submissions from across the globe, from new and emerging studios as well as seasoned ones.
To enter, design teams are required to read the Search Statement, fill out the online formand upload documents detailing their proposed team composition, relevant experience, pre-qualification questionnaire and initial reaction to the project. No design work is expected at stage one.
It is anticipated that four teams will be selected to compete as stage two, preparing anonymous concept designs to be reviewed by the competition jury. Each finalist team will receive a contribution to expenses of USD$10,000at the conclusion of the process.
The deadline for first stage responses is: 14:00GMT+1Monday 24October 2022.
Competition
This is a two-stage international design competition comprising an open Expression of Interest period followed by a design stage for a shortlist of four competitors.
Teams
The client seeks a dedicated and gifted design team that will connect with the project values and create charismatic yet practical architecture that perfectly relates to the extraordinary cultural and natural setting.
The competition encourages participation from new and emerging studios as well as seasoned practices.
Competitor teams should include (as a minimum) the following disciplines:
- Architect (and Lead Designer)
- Landscape Architect
- Masterplanner
- Exhibition and Interpretation Designer
- Archaeologist
- Engineering Disciplines, including Sustainability
- Cost Consultant
- Wayfinding Consultant
The disciplines noted above may be provided by individual companies forming a design team, or by one (multidisciplinary) company. In addition, competitors may include other disciplines central to the design approach.
The winning team will be required to include an architect licensed in Albania as part of the design team for the project. This firm’s license must cover design works related to archaeological sites.
Further details can be found in the Search Statement.
The remains of the central city at Butrint, showing the Agora, Roman Baths and Epirot Theater
Stage One
An open international call for participation aimed at attracting the very best architect-led multidisciplinary design teams with the necessary skills and experience to register their interest in the project.
Expressions of Interest should include the proposed team composition, relevant experience, a pre-qualification questionnaire, and an initial reaction to the outline brief for the project. No detailed design submission is expected at stage one.
The deadline for this is: 14:00GMT+1Monday 24October 2022.
Submissions for the first stage will be received electronically via the online form. Design teams should read and take note of the Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs) associated with this.
A shortlist of four design teams will be selected to participate in the second stage of the competition. All teams will be contacted by MRCprior to the start of stage two.
Stage Two
At this stage shortlisted design teams will be provided with detailed briefing information and invited to attend a site visit and briefing workshop at Butrint.
The final submission deadline for design concepts is expected to be late January 2023. Submissions will be made anonymously. Selection of the winning design will be decided by the competition jury.
A contribution toward expenses of USD$10,000will be paid to each shortlisted design team, to be put towards the costs of preparing their tender submission, following the selection of the winner. The winner announcement is expected in March 2023.
Timeline
| Stage One | |
|---|---|
| Stage One Launch | Wednesday 21September 2022 |
| Deadline for Questions | 12:00GMT+1Tuesday 11October 2022 |
| Submission Deadline | 14:00GMT+1Monday 24October 2022 |
| Stage Two | |
|---|---|
| Stage Two Launch | Early November 2022 |
| Shortlist Announced | Mid-November 2022 |
| Briefing Workshop/Site Visit | Late November 2022 |
| Stage Two Deadline | Late January 2023 |
| Jury | February 2023 |
| Winner announced | March 2023(anticipated) |
The competition is generously financed by the Albanian-American Development Foundation(AADF). The competition is being managed by Malcolm Reading Consultants(MRC).
Jury
Additional jury members will be added during the competition.
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Elva MargaritiMinister of Culture, Albania Mrs. Elva Margariti is the Minister of Culture for Albania, appointed in January 2019. Along with her staff, she has carried out important projects at a time when the cultural sector was severely affected by the earthquake of November 26th, 2019 and the Covid-19 pandemic. Previously, she was entrusted with the task of Territory Advisor and National Coordinator for the Integrated Rural Development Program (100 Villages Program) by the Prime Minister of Albania. From 2015-2018, Mrs. Margariti was the coordinator for the MSc Architecture and Bachelor in Civil Engineering and Environment programs at the Catholic University “Lady of Good Counsel”, which works closely with the University of Florence. Mrs. Margariti is a qualified architect and has experience as a freelance professional in various fields of architecture and urban development planning, and as a collaborator with design studios in both Italy and Albania. She studied architecture at the University of Florence, Italy, and completed further studies at Tampere University, Finland, and Tongji University in Shanghai, China. |
Martin MataCo-CEO, AADF Martin Mata has thirty years of combined management experience in the public and private sector, strategic planning, advanced investment, economic and market analysis, extensive political analysis, and human resources development. He began working for the Albanian–American Enterprise Fund (AAEF) in 2000 and became a Co-CEO in 2010. His former work experience includes working as General Manager of Mercedes-Benz for Albania, part-time political adviser to the Albanian Prime Minister, political adviser at the American Embassy in Tirana, and PR Manager at the National Agency for Privatization. He holds a B.A. in English History & Language, and an MBA from a joint program between the University of Nebraska and the Faculty of Economics, University of Tirana. He has been a Co-CEO at the Albanian-American Development Foundation (the AAEF’s legacy organization) since 2013. Mr. Mata received in 2015 from the President of the Republic the “Award of Distinguished Civil Merits”. |
Aleksandër SarapuliCo-CEO, AADF Aleksandër Sarapuli has thirty years of combined management and consulting experience in private equity, project finance, project management, economic and financial feasibility analyses, technology and commodity procurement, and marketing. He joined the Albanian-American Enterprise Fund in 1996 and has been Co-CEO since 2010. His former work experience includes co-founding and managing partner of the Business Advisory Unit (BAU), business adviser for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Albania, and marketing and procurement manager at a private company. He holds a B.A. in Economics from the Faculty of Economics in Tirana. Mr. Sarapuli has participated in many intensive training programs on private equity, finance, management and more. He has been a Co-CEO at the Albanian-American Development Foundation (the AAEF’s legacy organization) since 2013. Mr. Sarapuli received in 2015 from the President of the Republic the “Award of Distinguished Civil Merits”. |
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Emily Freeman-AttwoodChair, Butrint Foundation Emily Freeman-Attwood is the Chair of the Butrint Foundation, a UK-registered charity founded in January 1993 by her father Lord Jacob Rothschild and Lord John Sainsbury of Preston Candover. The Foundation’s mission is to ‘restore, preserve and develop the Butrint site […] for the benefit of the public.’ Emily has been a trustee of the Foundation since 1998. She established a deep connection and affinity with Butrint as a child, having initially glimpsed the spectacular landscape from across the water in Corfu. She first visited the site in 1992 while working in the field of archaeology, and returned each year for many years. Previously involved directly in managing the historic site and distributing grants for research and conservation, the Butrint Foundation now works closely with the Albanian Ministry of Culture and the recently formed Butrint Management Foundation to support the adoption of the Integrated Management Plan. |
Róisín HeneghanCo-Founder and Director, Heneghan Peng Architects Róisín Heneghan is the Co-Founder and Director of Heneghan Peng Architects, an architectural, landscape, and urban planning practice based in Dublin and Berlin. Her projects include the Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre (shortlisted for the 2013 RIBA Stirling Prize), the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit (winner of the 2019 Aga Khan Award in Architecture), the National Gallery of Ireland Historic Wings Refurbishment, and the soon-to-open Grand Egyptian Museum. Róisín’s work at Heneghan Peng Architects has been widely exhibited and celebrated. The practice has won international design competitions for the Grand Egyptian Museum (an open competition that attracted over 1,500 entries) and Storm King Art Centre, among others. Heneghan Peng’s work has been nominated and shortlisted for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture and the RIBA Stirling Prize; individually, Róisín was shortlisted for the AJ Woman Architect of the Year 2014. Róisín has extensive experience as a jury member for international architecture competitions, and was on the jury for the 2016 RIBA Stirling Prize. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from University College Dublin and a Masters in Architecture from Harvard University and has taught at both institutions – alongside teaching at Yale University, Cornell University, and MIT. |
Mónica LuengoFounder, ATP Architecture, Territory and Landscape Mónica Luengo is a landscape architect and art historian with expertise in the theory and practice of cultural landscapes, and the research, restoration, conservation and management of historic landscapes and gardens. She currently serves as the Vice President of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Spain. Alongside her Madrid-based landscape architecture practice ATP, Mónica is an Honorary Member and Former President of the International Scientific Committee of Cultural Landscapes (ISCCL), a partnership between ICOMOS and the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA). As an academic, she has been the course director for the MA Cultural and National Heritage programme at Andalucía International University. Mónica brings 15 years’ experience organising seminars and exhibitions, and lecturing internationally on cultural landscapes. Mónica works regularly with UNESCO World Heritage as an expert and consultant. Her publications include works on the restoration and management of historic gardens. |
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Suzanne OggeDirector of Heritage and international Projects, studioMilou Suzanne is the Director of Heritage and International Projects at studioMilou, an architectural firm based in Singapore, Vietnam and Paris. Her studies include a Post Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies from Deakin University, an Honors degree in Social Anthropology and Art History from the University of Melbourne, and a Masters of Ethnology from the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences in Paris. Prior to joining studioMilou, Suzanne worked for over a decade with UNESCO’s Culture Sector in Paris, specializing on the conception, development and management of projects worldwide, with a focus on museums, built and intangible cultural heritage. She continues to carry out work for UNESCO in the field of intangible heritage, including training and advising on a range of heritage issues. Her organizational memberships include the Australian Chamber of Commerce’s Built Environment Industry Group in Singapore, the Advisory Committee for UNESCO’s International Training Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (CRIHAP), and the Editorial Committee for the International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (ICHCAP). |
Matilda PandoPresident, Association of Architects of Albania; Founder and Director, MATT ARCHITECT&ASSOCIATES Matilda Pando is the President of the Albanian Association of Architects (AAA), previously serving on the board of directors for five years. AAA is part of the International Union of Architects, the only UNESCO-recognized international architectural organization. AAA is also an active member of the Inter-Balkan Architectural Union, where Albania currently holds the vice-presidency. A non-governmental organization, AAA has been operating for 32 years. Matilda is also the Founder and Director of MATT ARCHITECT & ASSOCIATIES, a Tirana-based studio focused on architecture, planning, and interior design. Her work focuses on contextualization, sustainability, and contemporary architecture. Previously, she co-founded the firm ARCHISTUDIO, whose ‘Vila Mira’ project was nominated for both the Mies Van der Rohe and Aga Khan awards in 2022. A practicing architect since 2001, Matilda studied at the Polytechnic University of Tirana’s Department of Architecture from 1996. Her work includes an engagement with design and public administration. |
Malcolm ReadingAdministrative Chair The competition is being managed by Malcolm Reading Consultants (MRC). Malcolm, an architect by training, founded the company after six years as Director of Design and Architecture at the British Council. He has worked with many of the world’s leading cultural institutions including the V&A; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation; the Royal College of Art; Mumbai City Museum; the British Library; and the Natural History Museum. Recent MRC competitions include those for MK:U; the Illuminated River; the UK Holocaust Memorial; Edinburgh’s Ross Pavilion; the M.K. Čiurlionis Concert Centre in Kaunas, Lithuania; and the National Gallery, UK. Malcolm was on the Board of Historic Royal Palaces from 2005-2014 and was a Trustee of English Heritage from 2015-2019. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He joined the Sovereign Grant Audit Committee in June 2015. Photo: Vibeke Dahl |
Contact
Competition Enquiries
butrint@malcolmreading.com
Competition Media Enquiries
Catherine Reading (on GMT+1)
catherine.reading@malcolmreading.com
+ 44(0)2078312998
Project Media Enquiries
Enxhi Lekli (on CEST)
e.lekli@aadf.org
