Third landscape has no scale but it has limits . These limits are usually biological limits. -Third landscape is not in a constant evolution .
It is rather Inconstant depending on the modality of the environment . -Third landscape is an opportunity as it is a global landscape without function Inspired by our task we had to the landscape we have In mind. This landscape Is situated Inside the ring of Tirana. Despite Its location It Is a forsaken inhabited space.
In Its prime it was a chemical attack shelter for Its nearby Inhabitants. Now It's Just a lump on the ground covered by uncontrolled vegetation .Its entrances are used as trash bins and Its borders are occupied by abandoned and Illegal parked cars. Our Imagination did not dare to go inside there and think what kind of flora and fauna could actually grow inside of a humid 50 year old closed basement.
Based in these first sight analysis we decided this place was the opportunity we were looking for. To start the action on this newly found Third Landscape we turn our attention to Gilles Clement and his words: "Acting on the Third Landscape is going with, not against nature, complying, observing and intervening as little as possible. Avoiding the regulations and remaining indifferent.Avoiding the assumption of wanting to create models.
The game of leaving things as they are (and as they evolve) does not, of course, avoid a decision. The action Is there and it is traditional, wise, calling the skills of observation, classification and deduction Into play. It Is that of the scientist, not of the DID enthusiast, although In this case you start from what Is already there and try to turn circumstances into opportunities. "(Cit.
Gilles Clement Manifesto del Terror Passages. We began to work on the primal analysis of the area. First on a larger scale we divided the area based on its functions.After this on a smaller scale around our Third Landscape.
We also divided the area based on the building types such as apartment buildings , villas etc. After this we tried to go deeper inside the history of this place. We went to the Military Archive and to find plants of this Communist era shelters. Fortunately the archivist helped us even with further information about communist era shelters. Apparently every building build back than had a shelter planned as a basement In case of air attacks or chemical attacks.
Many of this actually still exist today but used In different functions such as lavender rooms or even apartments.Our shelter however was of a different kind. This kind was implemented in-between already existing buildings without a shelter to offer ventilation room in-between ,tight corridors with 2 rows of sits and 2 bathrooms on each side. If a chemical attack would happen we can only imagine how terrible it would have been for 50 plus people to fight to enter this narrow place.
Back on the Third Landscape we start to study the vegetation biologically growing on top of the shelter. Plants found on top of it are typical vegetation for urban areas .Essence vagaries Canonicals European Acre potassium Ruckus Calculate Panic Sanguine As a last round of analysis we start to sketch the paths and itineraries created by our Third Landscape around the area along with walking paths , bicycle paths , road paths and car parking spaces. After gathering all the above material we state the cons of our existing Third Landscape Bad Space Management No trash control and recycle Illegal parking Lack of social function Hygiene problems inside shelter Uncontrolled vegetation growth Based on this problematic and Gilles Clement words we start to brainstorm for the IANAL result of the project.
Leaded by our project leader Laura Pedant we decide to turn the Third Landscape into Tirana first ever seed bank. The idea of the seed bank was our interpretation of Gilles Clement words as if the only way to treat a Third Landscape is going with the flow of nature and not going against it. A seed bank stores seeds as a source for planting in case seed reserves elsewhere are destroyed. It is a type of gene bank. The seeds stored may be food crops, or those of rare species to protect biodiversity The reasons for storing seeds may be varied.In he case of food crops, many useful plants that were developed over centuries are now no longer used for commercial agricultural production and are becoming rare.
Storing seeds also guards against catastrophic events like natural disasters outbreaks of disease, or war . Kinglike seed libraries or seeds swaps that encourage frequent reuse and sharing of seeds, seed banks are not typically open to the public. (courtesy of Wisped). As for the other problems affecting the outside of the shelter we decided to build a small park for the neighborhood to encourage recycle and a car free zone so it will be more green and less smoke.Dodo so we would have to clean the entire area of illegal parked and abandoned cars and also from the trash thrown into the shelter. As simple as our project may seem our main goal as architects was to make people see the opportunity behind a Third Landscape like our shelter.
Our shelter is not alone . There are many like it . Maybe our small effort will inject some thoughts on the different variations you can make to your way of social living. So behind this seed bank , lies even a bigger opportunity that someday will be seen by others maybe even slightly remotely inspired by our effort.
