Bazaars between documentation and conservation. Case studies in Albania and Macedonia.

Abstract

The subject of vernacular architecture, as is well known, is a vast concept embracing different fields of investigation. It is a type of art created to suit specific lifestyles of single communities, such as the Islamic community. Bazaars, characteristic markets in Eastern countries, are a significant example in this context. The proposed contribution intends to analyse these architectural and urban environments in Albania and Macedonia, through the discipline of restoration aimed at knowledge, documentation and conservation. The proposed case studies represent a significant example of how the restoration of these areas is of fundamental importance for the urban regeneration of historic cities. The Bazaar in Skopjie has always been regarded as the cultural, spiritual, economic and historical centre of the capital. This site, from an architectural point of view, has managed to create an image of the old city in the new city, preserving its original identity features over the centuries. In Tirana, on the other hand, the new Bazaar is a genuine urban regeneration project that aims to preserve the Albanian cultural tradition. If the Bazaar in Skopjie is in a precarious state of conservation, while maintaining its original character, the recently rebuilt Albanian market is an important example of not only architectural but also urban regeneration. The proposed research has foreseen different operational phases: an initial analysis of the historical transformations of the areas under investigation; an identification on a territorial scale and a subsequent analysis on an architectural scale using the restoration discipline. The aim of the investigation is to identify the level of use and conservation of both Bazaars, in order to elaborate digital documents on a cognitive basis for the identification of guidelines for the conservation and enhancement project of the case studies taken as a model for the proposed research.