Pyramid, architects against demolition

The architect Artan Shkreli expressed his conviction that this building can be turned into a modern multimedia center, a theater, a national library and it can even serve as a Parliamentary building.

“Its main function must be cultural, as its current name suggests. It could have been a very useful multimedia center, a theatrical center or nation library, because it fulfills all criteria. Underneath the outside garden there could be built five or six underground floors that would create a great storage of books”, Shkreli declared, emphasizing that his building could also serve as a Parliament.

The Albanian government, according to the architects and specialists for the protection of the cultural heritage, has violated all urban laws and competences of the local administration by approving laws that allow the demolition of the International Center of Culture “Pjeter Arbnori” with accelerated procedures.

“The draft-law that requests the demolition of the Pyramid bypasses the competences of the local administration. There are procedures that bypass the Urban Law. All of these are extra procedures. They are violating the current legislation, the Urban Law, the principles of the independence of the local government, it violates the way all these legislations are treated, the tenders and the public auctions, and it creates additional legal procedures that serve only to this case”, says Artan Lame, chairman of the Association for Protection of Cultural Heritage.

And what about the Albanian people; were they asked if they want or not to pay thousands of dollars more each month for the construction of the new Parliament, for which the government is ready to pay 100 million USD?

“The Ministry of Finances declared that they are negotiating with Saudi Arabia for a 100 million USD loan for the construction of the new Parliament. Anyone can make a simple division, by dividing these 100 million USD by 140 MPs, and the result is 750,000 USD for every single Member of the Parliament. Is it convenient for the Albanian people to pay 750,000 USD for each MP? The government found the time to negotiate in Saudi Arabia for finding this money, but they couldidn’t find the time to consult the domestic opinion”, Lame declared.

Several months ago, the Architect Association and the Forum for the Protection of Cultural Heritage sent a resolution and a memo to the Albanian government, but there was no answer.

“We didn’t have any hopes for receiving any answer, and we were right. All of them continued their way through this craziness”, Lame declared.

The young Albanians seem to be very sensitive to against the decisions that are being taken for the Albanian metropolis. Thousands of them are discussing on Facebook about the Pyramid and about the absurd government decision for demolishing it.

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