a+ architectre plus - 19

Topic : Smart environments

Page : 103 - 105

Gateway to Albania
Located in Rinas, some 25km kilometres from the capital of Albania , the new Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza (TIA), designed by the Malaysian architectural practice Hintan Associates Sdn. Bhd., opened tpo the public earlier this year. A piece of modern architecture and airport infrastructure unfamiliar to the people of the Balkans, the new airport matches international standards and heralds a new national gateway to a country long shroulded in mystery and political isolation, buried in its own brand of communicm for more than 40 years.

The involvement of a team of more than 41 nationalities in this project marks the opening up of the country to the rest of Europe. The airport is also a showcase of cutting edge architecture and airport systems that previously, have only been seen in the West. The impact of this facility to the Albanians is to imbue a sense of national pride, while giving visitors a vision of perhaps a new country in the making and providing a secure environment for visitors to enter and exit the country.

And , a rare feature of any airport today - a children's playground intergrated into the side of the terminal, allows children a glimpse of the awe-inspiring aeroplanes while playing safely in a glass enclosure.

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