Buntrint National Park Visitor Center Competition

 


Image: ©Kengo Kume

 

Winner
Kengo Kuma and Associates
CHwB Albania, Ervin Paci, SOLARON Albania, iMEPS Engineering & Consulting, YOKE, Esmeralda Agolli and GE-D Engineering
Japan / Albania

 

Runnerup
Philippe PROST / AAPP
France

 

Honorable Mentions
Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects
Helsinki, Finland

William Matthews Associates
London, UK

 

Jury citation:
In our unanimous opinion the concept presented by the Kengo Kuma-led team achieves this through an astonishing duality: the visitor center is conceived as an upper mountain gate with panoramic views over the estuary and lake, and a lower archaeological site gate. This is an intervention that is both infrastructure and welcoming shelter; and offers a new public space, a plaza where the local community and visitors can meet. The team’s guiding idea is to establish new connections between local communities and the archaeological site visitors.

 

A gallery of the finalists’ entries can be viewed on the website of the competition adviser, Malcolm Reading Consultants:
competitions.malcolmreading.com/butrint/gallery