Marco Casamonti. Archea Associati. Air Albania Stadium. Ediz. inglese

This volume traces the design and construction stages of the new stadium in Tirana, a symbol of the renewal of the living conditions of a community that, starting from the respect of its own traditions and history, affirms its full belonging to contemporary European culture. The exceptionality of the intervention consists in the idea that the sports complex, one of the most advanced on the continent, – which is why it was chosen by UEFA as the venue for the final of the Conference League in 2022 – is conceived as an urban building fully integrated into the life of the city and positioned in an area that it has itself contributed to completely regenerate. The stadium, or rather the urban complex that encloses it, represents the symbol of a cultural renaissance that places at the center of all human activity the community that experiences the arena for sport not occasionally but continuously, with its squares, its stores, its offices, its hotel offering hospitality and services for conferences and meetings. For these reasons it is one of the most advanced achievements at the European level, a model that will certainly be emulated by other countries and which we hope to replicate as an example of social integration in other cities in Albania. Archea Associati, founded in Florence in 1988 by Laura Andreini, Marco Casamonti and Giovanni Polazzi, is a design firm in which more than 200 architects collaborate, operating in offices in Florence, Rome, Milan, Genoa and Paris. In 2001, the founders were joined by Silvia Fabi, coordinator of the firm’s design activities. Thanks also to the collaboration with partner firms in Tirana, Beijing, Dubai and São Paulo, the studio has realized works of Architecture, Design, Interior Design and Graphic Design all over the world.