Strategies for reusing Albanian bunkers

The rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of buildings designed for military purposes is a controversial issue at the international debate. Changes in national and international policies, as well as the influence of technological advances in conflict, have led to the abandonment of buildings and sites that were once strategic for military purposes. The research addresses the potential for enhancing the network of military bunkers dotting the Albanian territory. The militaristic Albanian government of the second half of the Twentieth Century had invested in the construction of hundreds of thousands of bunkers for defense use, not only along the borders and coastlines but also within urban areas. Indeed, more than 150,000 of these bunkers of various types and sizes were built: ranging from large antinuclear bunkers designed to house vehicles and people, to small bunkers intended to defend the territory. These buildings have never been used for military operations: in the beginning, spontaneous reuse was undertaken; nowadays, the population is gradually, albeit with difficulties, beginning to recognize their value as cultural heritage. A systematic survey of this endangered heritage is still lacking; studies on the conservation status and potential for reuse are still limited. Based on the analysis of some significant case studies and the identification of recurring characteristics in the Albanian bunkers, the paper aims to define a methodology for classifying and analyzing this heritage, to identify a comprehensive intervention strategy, and criteria for evaluating compatible reuse hypotheses.