ALBANIAN ARCHITECTS : ENOLA MARTOPULLO

A brief description of you, where you work, how many years of experience you have and your area of ​​expertise:

I graduated from Architecture at the  Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering in 2008.

After graduation I worked for nine years in spatial planning departments in public institutions, as well as as a freelancer architect. This experience made sparked me a special interest in urban planning, spatial planning and sustainable development. For this reason, in 2009-2010 I attended a Second Level Master on Sustainable Planning and Development, followed by several postgraduate courses in this field. For two years (2019-2021) I was a guest lecturer at Marlin Barleti University for the course "Architectural Recovery".

In 2017, I  founded the design studio "Atria", focused on projects of various fields of expertise. The studio consists of a group of inspiring young people. In their work, the studio tries to increase  sensitivity related  to the context, identity and relationship between man and the physical spaces that surround him.

HOTEL AMBER

Why did you choose architecture? What was the spark that led you to this profession?

What directed me toward architecture was a specific object: Adriatik Hotel, in Durrës. During a walk with the high school society, the topic was about this hotel in general and also its architecture. Before this situation I did not ever thought of architecture studies before. It was an unexpected decision, but that obscured everything else. From that moment on it seemed as the only choice which included all my passions.

What do think architecture is and which is the project that best represents you?

Architecture is a creative process based on a careful analysis of the continuous evolution of life. The search for beauty, belonging and truth, in a given context, is the result of this creative process. Architects express themselves through their projects, therefore each project it is the best representative. The ones I particularly love are currently in the process.

"Cultural Itinerary-Fishtian Trails" is one of them, which is unfinished and the other is the project of a hotel in the city, in the process of getting the building permit. These projects have very different contexts and different design approaches.

What advice would you give yourself at the beginning of your career, valid even for young architects or those girls/women who want to become architects?

Keep up at all times the same love and passion for our profession, despite the difficulties encountered in this field. Do not forget to enjoy this process!

 

Which architect/artist inspires you in your work?

Inspiration comes not only from architects or artists, but from everything beautiful that surrounds us.

Certain sensations can be aroused by vernacular architecture, a beautiful composition, a landscape or natural element, etc. Inspirational architects are too many to list within one answer, I would single out Alvaro Siza as an architect who synthesizes the aforementioned elements.