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FRAGMENTS OF CONTEMPORARY ALBANIAN ARCHITECTURE
Alban Birçe(Architect)
Nobus Hotel & SPA
Location:Jonufër, Vlorë - Albania
Typology:
Hospitality
Author|s:Alban Birçe
Year of realisation:2022
Collaborators:Rezart Pogaçe, Imelda Birçe
Photography: Leonit Ibrahimi & Park StudiosNobus Hotel & SPA
The inspiration for the creation of this project is the result of an analysis of the client’s needs parallel to a careful examination of the context. This building is intimately
connected to the terrain and the territory where it is situated. The hills’s relief, stretching from Vlora towards Orikum, has on its western side a steep slope which, with
the altidute increase, allows a view over the Ionian Sea
in a natural frame that extends from the Karaburun Peninsula, continues to Sazan, and reaches Zvërnec and
Narta. This privileged geographic context is the location
of the Nobus Hotel & SPA. The intervention site is situated at a crossing paths that connects the hillside with a
significant level difference. The building integrates into
this morphology by developing accesses on different
levels, depending on the functions of the services offered: hotel, SPA, bar/restaurant, pool, parking.
The atrium, which vertically extends across two levels
and remains embedded in rock on its three sides, serves
as the main access point of the building. Six meters below, at street level on the northern side, parking facilities are located. The access to the panoramic pool on
the southern side is positioned above the atrium. This
level difference has created the opportunity for natural
zenithal lighting from the pool elevation into the interior
of the atrium.
Photography: Leonit Ibrahimi & Park Studios
Photography: Leonit Ibrahimi & Park StudiosThese entrances are visually connected to each other
through stone arched terraces, seamlessly integrating
with the existing Mediterranean topography and vegetation. The structure’s volumetrics result from the geometric interplay of several prisms that follow the rhythm of
the terraces, creating a form that seamlessly integrates
with the terrain. From these sequences emerge facades
stripped of ‘excess’ elements - with stylistic references
to rationalist architecture - favoring the purity of form
and sculpted volumes.The result is the maximization of
users’ sense of privacy and the creation of a double effect, enhancing the perspective of the view from inside
out. The selection of materials is a consequence of an
existing factor; the white facade minimizes solar impact,
glass parapets allow for inward and outward views without interfering with the essence of the facade. Stone
terraces are realized with stones extracted from excavation, and the materials of the floors, both inside and
outside the building, adopt the same local color tones.
In essence, this project has been chosen from our portfolio due to the complexity of challenges and requirements it has posed, stemming from both the clients and
the specific location.
