The Km_RunwayPark, designed for the
city of Tirana, is a public urban space, a theme park that does not
isolate existing space but, on the contrary, unites the various urban
fragments that surround it, both existing and under development,
ensuring its role in the future urban development of the city. The
project is located in an area with exceptional urban qualities: a 50
m wide by one kilometre long void in the urban fabric left by the
former landing strip of an abandoned military airport in the
northwest quadrant of the city.The project defines a clear and
recognisable identifying image that simultaneously works at two
different scales: 1-The Urban Scale, where the rhythmic
alternation of different paved surfaces and/or vegetation produces an
overall image that alludes to the structure of a text or a writing
left by an abstract calligraphy that designs a vast canvas based on
scanning, repetition and rhythm. 2-The Human Scale where, on the
contrary, the design dedicated to each single area is differentiated
according to function, colours, use, etc.This process creates a
series of rooms, each different from the other and each with its own
specific value. This in turn produces differences and interplay,
while maintaining communication and thus the unitary and
identity-giving perception of the entire intervention. The
project features a singular unit of measurement: 1 km. It is
precisely this concept of measurement that underlies the logic of the
designed spaces, which can be perceived by walking the length of the
project; if we take into consideration the presence of schools and
universities in the immediately neighbouring areas, and thus a
significant number of young people who will use this space, we gain a
clear conception of the dimensions that range from 100 metres to 1
kilometre, with the final aim of dedicating the space to sports and
recreational activities (fitness, running, basketball, volleyball,
playgrounds, etc.).