IMAGINING THE VLORA WATERFRONT:
Inventory + Analysis
Hungary
Aulona Park
Romania
Croatia
Macedonia
Kosovo
Bulgaria
W
A l b a n i a
Macedonia
Italy
Adriatic
Sea
E S
T
t Terb
aci
Stadium
S E
G
Greece
Corfu
M
Greece
ALBANIA LOCATION MAP
Mura
University
E N
T
SITE LOCATION MAP
VLORA LOCATION MAP
To City
C
35 MIN enter
WALKI
NG
a.
il e
d
s Saza
Recreational Activity:
Rental Boating
oward
b.
n Islan
d.
c.
PORT
s
P
West Segment
• Proposed Tourism Zoning
1. 5 M ile
• Wide & Sandy
• Old Beach Area
• Ex. Infrastructures
Port
• The hinge connects the West segment and South segment
• Opportunity to become the focus of tourism plan
South Segment
• Narrow & well defined
• New Beach Promenade
• Stands in-between an ex. road & the sea
• Opportunity to become traffic free area
• Contains unintergrated sub-segments with different programs
d. Street View
GENERAL CHARACTER+DISTANCE MAP
SOUTH SEGMENT
LEGEND
c. Historical Site: Independence Museum
Rruga Murat CTerbaci is a national
highway, but it is possible to be
removed and becomes a pedestrian
first secondary road.
P
b. Old Beach
V
National Highway Leaves the Shore
0.5
M il e
P
A D R I A T I C
S E A
S E G M E N T
View T
1M
ENT
H
U T
a. Vlora Port Night View
GM
Ferry Station:
Connects Points of Interests
O
T SE
Cruise ship:
Brings international tourists
S
WES
Vlora Port Night View
i
bac
Ter
rat
Mu
Water Circulation Enhances Connection
T
ga
Rru
POR
a
w
o
T
iew
Montenegro
Rruga
r
a
g
n
u
rds L
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
Vlora
Serbia
n
i
a
t
n
u
a Mo
Slovenia
Pedestrian only circulation
P
Possible underground parking
Points of Interests
Recreational Programs
Hotel District
Public Open Space
Commercial Core
LEGEND
Lungara Mountain
Independence Museum
Educational Institution
Ex. Primary Road
Prop. Primary Road
Ex. Secondary Road
Green Space
Major Nodes
Commercial Area
Beach
Secondary Nodes
COMPOSITE MAP
SIYU XIAO SPRING 2014 LAND 4900 PROF. VERMA
ali
ail Qem
ard Ism
Hotel
aci
Stadium
Boulwv
Hotel
Rruga Murat Terb
Hotel
Museum Complex
Beach
Rruga M
urat Ter
baci
Retail Strip
University
Promenade
ga
Rru
i
bac
Ter
rat
Mu
CONCEPT:
The City of Vlora called for an international design competition to transform
the city’s old port and its entire three mile waterfront to be a mixed-used tourism
Apartments
attraction. The design goal is to enhance the accessibility of the waterfront, develop a
series of inviting public open spaces that are orientated towards to sea, and create a strong
identity for the waterfront that expresses its genius loci. The design concept is to extend the city’s
existing geometry towards the sea, open up the old port to be a gateway into the city, and create a threemile multi-purpose promenade connecting points of interest. Native plants and Albanian cultural elements are
displayed and carried though along the promenade throughout the design to reinforce the identity of the waterfront
FEATURES:
-The Extension of the City’s Geometry: The two strongest
axes in the existing city fabric are celebrated by extending
them out towards the sea to become two major piers. The
two piers frame a series of inviting public open spaces.
-The Gateway: By redesigning and relocating the university,
the new building complex frames a strong central axis
View of the West Pier
that connects the bay and the city. Along the axis, a
sequence of public open spaces, including picnic lawn
areas, board walk with a central lookout, and sculptural
lighting form the ceremonial walk towards the sea.
-The Promenade: The three mile long concrete promenade
zigzags through the site, changing its character in response
to the existing landscape. The paving pattern is inspired by
Albanian decorative folk art. The width varies between thirty
and fifty feet, allowing pedestrians, bikers, skateboarders, and
emergency vehicles to share the space. It serves as the primary
View of the Gateway
circulation for both locals and tourists along the waterfront.
A Gateway to The City
Rruga Gjergj Kastrioti
IMAGINING THE VLORA WATERFRONT:
Independence Museum
Independence Park
Theatre
West Bay Water Plaza
Visitor Center
Central Overlook
West Pier
Cruise Ship Boarding
East Pier
A D R I A T I C
S E A
Ferry Station:
Boat Parking
LEGEND
Commercial
Sensory Garden
Institutional/ Educational
Residential
Beach
Exiting Features
View of Promenade and Beach
GENERAL CHARACTER+DISTANCE MAP
Vegetated Area
Master Plan
Scale: 1’’=300’
SIYU XIAO SPRING 2014 LAND 4900 PROF. VERMA
A series of steps from the Port area leading towards the sea frames the water plaza. The grand
steps are broken down by seating, ramps, landings, and vegetated retaining walls. The design
aims to create spaces that are both open and intimate. As the West Pier projects out towards
the sea, its contrast in elevation with the water plaza creates a sense of enclosure. Attached
to the wall are a series of cascading water features that creates dynamic movement within
the site. Two shallow pools centered within the design, along with stepping stones of various
elevation heights, encourages people to interact with the water. The stepping stones create
opportunities for sculpture display and seatings and serves as pathways connecting the two
ends of the shallow pools. By periodically extending the landing area out over the steps, a
series of “lookout pockets” are created.
These spaces provide shaded seating
and engage views of the plaza below.
The bridge creates dynamic lighting
and shadow effects on the passageway
beneath it. The space above the
brigade is divided into a circulation
passage with resting areas shaded by
umbrellas, connecting the west pier
View of the Lookout Pocket with the rest of the waterfront design.
Ramp D
own
A
Ramp D
own
DOWN
Lookout Pocket
Stone Seating
DOWN
Locator Map
Water Plaza on The Bay
DOWN
IMAGINING THE VLORA WATERFRONT:
Ramp
Planters
Ramp D
o
Interactive Water Plaza
wn
Cascading Water Features Sculpture
Lookout Pocket
Seating Platform
Sky walk
Resting Area
B
View towards the West Pier
View of the Central Sculpture
DOWN
DOWN
B
Native Palm Tree
Stage Seating Area
A
West Pier Facing Section
A
Scale: 1’’=20’
A
West Pier
B
B
Entrance Facing Section
V L O R A
B A Y
Site Plan
Scale: 1’’=20’
Scale: 1’’=20’
SIYU XIAO SPRING 2014 LAND 4900 PROF. VERMA