ECO PARK DURRES
Eco Park Durres is a large public park constructed on a former landfill designed by architect Helena Casanova & Jesus Hernandez, which posed a significant environmental challenge for the city of Durres. Inspired by the renowned local Roman mosaic “The Beauty of Durres”, the park symbolizes the transformation of a polluted site with negative connotations into a public space dedicated to recreation and environmental education.
For many years, the site was used as an open landfill where solid waste was dumped without any protective measures, creating a severe environmental issue. Land pollution resulted from the leachate of solid waste into the soil. Air pollution was caused by frequent fires set by individuals illegally burning plastics and organic waste to extract steel. Water pollution spread through the water channels, and food pollution occurred because animals were fed organic materials from the waste.
The primary objective of the project was to address this environmental emergency. However, the solution was not merely a technical one, such as creating a fenced sanitary landfill. Instead, the problem was approached as a social issue, necessitating a comprehensive strategy that focused on resolving environmental problems, creating public recreational spaces, and promoting ecological awareness among citizens. This strategy envisions Eco Park as a dynamic environmental machine capable of evolving in the future by adding new thematic pavilions and educational programs.
The project transforms the contaminated landfill into a sanitary landfill composed of hills made of compacted waste. These hills are covered with vegetation and sculpted to create a land art intervention. A network of winding paths makes the entire landscape walkable, turning it into a public park equipped with recreational and sports facilities.
The largest hill, also made of compacted waste, features the highest climbing wall in the Balkans, designed for international competitions. The Eco-pavilion located at the entrance houses park facilities and a permanent exhibition that promotes ecological awareness among visitors and schools. A network of nine thematic eco-pavilions will be built on top of the hills to present Albania’s main environmental issues and reinforce the park’s educational role.
The primary material used to build the park is the waste found in the landfill at the site. The waste is moved, shaped, and compacted to form an artificial landscape. This landscape functions as a cleaning machine, extracting leachate and eliminating methane gases. The tops of the hills are covered with a geomembrane and a final clay cap where vegetation is planted.
The largest hill, which includes the climbing wall, is supported by a 30-meter-high massive wall made of reinforced concrete, designed in a curved shape to withstand forces more efficiently. The climbing wall is constructed from waterproof GRP panels mounted on a galvanized steel structure. The exterior walls of the pavilion are made of gabions built with galvanized steel filled with different recycled materials, forming a vibrant patchwork composition.
Eco Park Durres stands as a testament to the innovative transformation of an environmental liability into a valuable public asset, fostering recreation, education, and ecological consciousness.
