Solidarity Center, Foundation “Fundjavë Ndryshe”, Qendra e Solidaritetit, Fondacioni “Fundjavë Ndryshe”

The project "Qendra e Solidaritetit" is a project that was realized for the Foundation "Fundjavë Ndryshe". The need to create an environment for the services provided by this foundation in Albania led to the creation of this project. The project is located in an ex-military area with a surface of 40'000m2. There were several almost destroyed buildings. The objects that have been restored are the following:

B.1           Headquarters Of Foundation "Fundjave Ndryshe"

B.2           "Ndryshe" Restaurant

B.3           Warehouse

B.4           Library And Cource Center Building

B.5           Medical Center

B.6           Elder Care Center ( project phase)

All these buildings were not built from scratch. They were restored, adapted and revitalized to bring life back to the area. Since the buildings were of a minimalist style, without any architectural value, the only economical solution offered was to cover the facade with coating materials. The facade was given a serious look by using decorative red ceramic brick cladding, white polystyrene frames coated with resin to cover the windows and the wall painted with a dark color to create contrast.

B1.          The existing buildings were separated and functioned separately, but after the intervention they were connected with a central ladder, which divides the staff according to the services provided for each facility. There are offices, a conference hall, a television studio and service facilities.

B2.          The building, where the "Ndryshe" Restaurant was built, in its present state was a colonnade, which served as a parking lot for heavy military vehicles. The existing structure of the building was preserved, and it was reinforced and extended in the front part. An open space with a very good visual access to the Tirana River was also created in the rear part of the building. The interior of the restaurant was designed with the concept of introducing natural green elements into the interior as well as wooden elements. Since it is a building with a clean rectangular surface of 500m2, it was necessary to think about the acoustic comfort in the interior, so a decorative wooden element in hexagonal shape was created, which serves as a panel for sound absorption. This element gave an excellent result in terms of both acoustic comfort and aesthetics. Without cutting down any of the century-old olive trees, the area around the restaurant was developed according to the existing greenery. The building has a great harmony with nature, which is why we decided to install two fountains to create an ambience of relaxation.

B3.          The warehouse is used to store all the aid collected by the Foundation. The building was in excellent condition, so the restoration work was very limited. It was enough to paint the façade and repair the terrace.

B4.          The Library is a building designed for the children who come from the surrounding areas to have a place to study, to read different books offered by the Center, as well as to offer different courses to help develop better.

B5.          The Medical Center is a modern facility equipped with advanced technology to provide qualified and safe medical services to its visitors. It is designed as a facility where patients with economic disabilities can receive basic medical services free of charge. There is a dentist, a pediatrician, a pharmacy, a general doctor and an emergency room.