RIVIERA Lot 2 - Winners

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LOT #2

B U R E A U S O N - g r o u p

B A S +

V A D I M

S M E T S V O S T E R S

1. REVEALING THE LANDSCAPE7 1.1 MULLHOLLAND DRIVE 1.2 NORWAY DETOUR 1.3 ANSELM ADAMS YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK 

2. RIVIERA DRIVE15 2.1 COASTLINE AND NATURAL LANDSCAPE 2.2 RIVIERA DRIVE AND CULTURAL LANDSCAPE 

2.3 EXEMPLARY LANDSCAPE

3. LANDSCAPE SEQUENCES25 3.1 INHABITED SLOPES 3.2 BEDROCK BALCONY 3.3 TWIN TOWNS 3.4 PORTO PALERMO 3.5 FERTILE VALLEYS 3.6 CULTIVATED TERRACES

4. RESEARCH THROUGH DESIGN41 4.1 STRATEGIC NECESSARY INTERVENTIONS 4.2 SIMULATION OF THE STRATEGY 4.3 APPLIED LANDART 4.4 PERCEPTIONS

Riviera Drive & Pristine Coastline The project for the Albania Riviera offers the opportunity to radically rethink its image, its use and its organisation. The Albanian side of the Ionic Sea is characterised by two lines lying at a variable distance : the Coastline and the Coastal road. Due to its rock formation the latter is not lying next to the former. The Coastal road is actually rarely very near to the Coastline at all. This has created a very interesting situation : On the one hand the Coastline is made out of singular and isolated moments. It is largely unspoilt and characterised by a series of beautiful beaches, lush tributary valleys and steep rocks formations. On the other hand the road connects the man made environment of villages, castles and terraced cultivation on the hillside. We propose to reinforce this double system in which the Coastline is revealed as a pristine natural landscape waiting to be explored, while the road becomes a ‘Riviera Drive’ offering vistas on both mountains and see while connecting all the elements of the cultural landscape. The relationship between the natural and the cultural landscape is thus defined by their section. The varying distance between Coastline and Riviera Drive creates a number of sequences that are very different in morphology and character : from the Inhabited Slopes of Dhermi to the Twin Towns of Himara to the Fertile Valleys of Borsh and Qeparo. Each sequence should have its own identity offering different opportunities for tourism and local economies. Every intervention and investment should be conceived as an integral part of this double system, reinforcing the dialogue in section. We propose to start with all the necessary interventions such as signage, street furniture, lighting and public places. All of these elements should be part of the same family of objects that reveal the landscape through a language of ‘applied land art’. Bas Smets

1 R E VE ALI N G THE LA NDSCA PE

1 . 1 MULLH O LAND D R I VE

Barabara Fine Summit Overlook

Dead Man Overlook

Audry Overlook

Overlook Deep Canyon Overlook

Hollywood Bowl Overlook

Johnson Overlook

Universal City Overlook Nancy Hoover Pohl Overlook

Overlook

The Groves Overlook

Stone Canyon Overlook

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Constructed in 1924 by the City engineer William Mulholland, the road became quickly one of the most famous thoroughfares in United States. Built on the ridge of the mountain, it offers on both sides panoramic views on the city the mountains and the ocean. Its scenic quality has changed the road into a strong regional landmark and a specific attraction for locals and visitors. Offering a strong visibility to the landscape, the road itself has revealed the vast surrounding landscape.

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1 . 2 NO RWAY D E T O UR Lofoten

Geiranger-Trollstingen

Havoysund

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In Norway, the coastal road crosses several natural landscapes presenting different conditions (Islands, bays, wet hinterlands, mountains, etc.). In order to increase the touristic offer in the area, several panoramic points were implemented and designed according to a specific landscape or view. Here the landscape has imposed a specific approach everywhere, creating singular experiences along the road.

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1 . 3 ANSE L AD AMS Y O SEMITE NATION A L PA RK

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With his photographs, Anselm Adams revealed the tremendous beauty of Yosemite natural landscape, leading to its preservation as a national park and subsequently its transformation as a major touristic attraction. Through art, natural components are perceived landscape, a composition, a natural organisation revealing its own structure.

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2 RIVIERA DRIVE

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The Albanian coast is a contrasted environment. Mountains falls into the sea with different intensities and various topographics declinations. Our territory could be seen as first as an in-between area, a mitigation zone where the natural elements create several distinct environments along the coast line. These natural conditions have deeply influenced the human settlements along the road, creating on top of the natural landscape a man-made landscape, called cultural landscape.

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Following the coastline and its natural beaches, the natural landscape stretches inland following natural rivers and seasonal streams. It is also composed of the coastal areas presenting a strong declivity, preventing human settlements and offering a sparse maquis vegetation. Along the bays and the tributary rivers, some astonishing natural peculiarities can be found, such as natural caves, canyons, waterfalls and underwater springs.

2 . 1 C O AST LI NE AND NATURA L LA N DSCA PE

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The Riviera Drive finds its way through the relief offering various astonishing panoramic views on the landscape. It crosses also distinct man made environments. A large part of the coastal area is characterized by olives, citrus and orange groves on terraces. Only a few villages are located along the coast while most of them are located along or near the Riviera Drive. Within their urban fabric, many singular religious buildings, castles and high value historic traditional centres can be found.

2 . 2 R I VI E R A D R I VE AND CU LTU RA L LA NDSCA PE

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The entire coast is then perceived as a meeting area in between two parallel linear systems. Development should occur favourably within the cultural landscape while the natural landscape should be seen as a preserved environment, only sheltering light temporary accommodations. Considering these two systems could ensure a coordinated and integrated development along the entire coast. The exemplary landscape could also be integrated within the local masterplan and policies. Revealing the specificities of the road and coastline systems leads to specific strategies not based on mercantile approach or natural amenities consumption.

2 . 3 E XE MPLARY LAND SCA PE

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3 LAND SCA PE SEQU EN CES

3 . 1 I NH ABI T E D SLO PE S

On the northern part of our site, the mountains goes down smoothly into the sea offering large terraces and long pebbles beaches. Here the natural and cultural landscape are mixed in between the Riviera Drive and the coastline. Once a strong productive environment, the slopes are now facing a strong urban pressure and present already numerous private developments within the groves. Villages along the Riviera Drive present a strong cultural interest with various religious buildings.

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3 . 2 BE D R O C K BALC O NY

The Riviera Drive and the villages are separated from the coast by a strong topographic boundary. Thus this area is still more natural and do not present a strong touristic related development. Some hidden bays offer great natural peculiarities such as caves and canyons.

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3 . 3 T WI N T O WNS

Following the Riviera Drive, the two Himara towns are respectively on top and at the bottom of a cultivated valley. The new town is located on the seaside and it composed of numerous new developments while the old city, despite its historical and cultural value, is lacking of investment and renovation.

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3 . 4 PO RTO PALE R MO

The Riviera Drive is crossing a natural contrasted

environment where high

mountains directly meets the sea to create a unique protected bay along the coastline. The bay is one of the rare point where the Riviera Drive and the coastline meets.

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3 . 5 F E RTI LE VALLE Y S

Two cultivated valleys are surrounded by steep mountains. This dramatic landscape scenery offers a great variety of environments such as a long linear beach along the coast, old villages and castles on top of the cliffs. The groves are implemented along a geometrical rational irrigation system.

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3 . 6 C ULTI VATE D T E R R AC ES

From the Riviera Drive to the coastline, the entire landscape was once reshaped by men. Cultivated terraces of olive and citrus trees has deeply shaped the ground and created a unique environment. The Riviera Drive crosses linear villages on top of the terraces. Due to the lack of accessibility the beaches are mainly preserved and present different natural conditions.

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INHABITED SLOPES

BEDROCK BALCONY

TWIN TOWNS

PORTO PALERMO

FERTILE VALLEYS

CULTIVATED TERRACES

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4 R E SE AR CH THROUG H DESIG N

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1. Reinforced urban structure and historic polarities

4. Hiking and Eco-tourism focus development

7. Light temporary accomodations along the coastline

2. Combined development

5. Footpaths within natural protected environment

8. Historic renovated village as unique accommodation

3. Increased accessibility through terraces landscape

6. Natural preserved coastline

9. Harbour and sea activities focus development

INHABITED SLOPES

BEDROCK BALCONY

TWIN TOWNS

Revealing the singularities of each landscape as a mitigation between two linear system helps us to identify possible priorities or singularized strategic developments for each sequence. Along the coast, several strategies could be implemented to push towards a specific development (eco-tourism, agro-tourism) and increase everywhere the experience and the attraction of each site. Those strategies are considered as a first step to discuss with all the stakeholders and the partners to identify what could be done before the next touristic season and what could be seen as long term vision.

4 . 1 STR AT E GI C NE CE SSA RY IN TERVENTION S

10. Recreational objects implementation

13. Experience of dramatic views and contrasted landscapes

16. Enhanced living experience in the groves

11. Historical objects preservation and accommodation

14. Reinforced irrigation system and unique agricultural pattern

17. Perserved and reinforced unique terraces landscape

12. Contemplation objects implementation

15. Qualified buffer area in between the groves and the beach

18. Peculiar beach development through natural landscape

PORTO PALERMO

FERTILE VALLEYS

CULTIVATED TERRACES

Part of the strategy is also to include locals and inhabitants in the process. Renovating the villages, finding and marking old paths to climb, reinforcing the terraces and irrigation are seen as strong interventions and cannot be done without the local knowledge and experiences. It is a vital process to include everyone in the future development to reach an integrated territorial strategy.

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The Riviera Drive can become the real spine of the future economic and touristic development through its connections with the natural features and the touristic attractions both along the coastline and inland. Through this continuous spine the aim of the strategy is reinforcing the dialogue between the cultural and the natural landscape.

4 . 2 SI MULATI O N O F T HE STRATEG Y

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BUREAU BAS SMETS + SON-group + VADIM VOSTERS

Luigi Ghirri

Richard Long

Ettore Sottsas

Christo and Jeanne_Claude

Chris Engman

Vadim Vosters

Ettore Sottsas

Andy Goldsworthy

Hannes Van Severen

Louisiana Museum

Marc Wilson

Luigi Ghirri

4 . 3 APPLI E D LAND ART

Once we have identified a specific strategy for each landscape sequence, we are able to develop a specific intervention to enhance the experience of locals and visitors on a peculiar site. Along the Riviera Drive, panoramic views and refurbished urban centre offer a new frame on the landscape. In the groves or in the maquis, lines, paths and trails could be drawn to create new pedestrian accesses towards the beaches. On the coastline, specific objects will enhance the variety of recreational uses while characterizing the beaches.

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4 . 4 PE R C E PTI O NS

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RIVIERA, LOT#2

OBJECT Riviera LOT #2 phase 2.

DATE November 2014 ISSUED BY Bureau Bas Smets i.c.w.: SON-group Vadim Vosters

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© BBS Fall 2014

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