Book Presentation and Personal Exhibition “In GJIROKASTRA, climbing and sketching”
On June 23, 2025, at the premises of Tati Space Photography Center, the personal exhibition of architect Andi Papastefani entitled “In GJIROKASTËR by climbing and sketching” was opened. The exhibition is part of the promotion of the author’s book with the same title, which is the third in his series of books with urban sketches, the first for the city of Tirana, continuing with the historical city of Berat. In this exhibition, Andi Papastefani presents 64 drawings from the city of Gjirokastra, which are part of his collection of 123 drawings presented in the Book. A 3-year work to identify 90 traditional buildings and 10 urban ensembles, part of the construction and cultural heritage of the city of Gjirokastra, Albania and architecture in general. This book coincides with the 20th anniversary of the City of Gjirokastra's admission to UNESCO and, according to Papastefan, is a homage to the city of silhouettes carved in stone.
On June 23, 2025, at the premises of Tati Space Photography Center, the personal exhibition of architect Andi Papastefani entitled “In GJIROKASTËR by climbing and sketching” was opened. The exhibition is part of the promotion of the author’s book with the same title, which is the third in his series of books with urban sketches, the first for the city of Tirana, continuing with the historical city of Berat. In this exhibition, Andi Papastefani presents 64 drawings from the city of Gjirokastra, which are part of his collection of 123 drawings presented in the Book. A 3-year work to identify 90 traditional buildings and 10 urban ensembles, part of the construction and cultural heritage of the city of Gjirokastra, Albania and architecture in general. This book coincides with the 20th anniversary of the City of Gjirokastra's admission to UNESCO and, according to Papastefan, is a homage to the city of silhouettes carved in stone.
By means of architectural sketches, with pencil, pastel, marker, Andi Papastefani manages to scrupulously build a voluminous collection of drawings, scanning 90 traditional buildings of Gjirokastria and 10 ensembles, part of the architrecture heritage. He systematizes the buildings, categorizes them, grouping them into neighborhoods, and like an urban planner describes the features of each of them. He does this in a laconic and concise manner, because he wants the emphasis and attention to remain on the drawings. An important element is the inclusion in the Book of early modernist buildings in Gjirokastra from the 20s-30s, inviting us to open a discussion on the inclusion of this important category in the fund of protected architectural heritage in Albania.
For the Exhibition “In GJIROKASTRA, climbing and sketching” Prof. Pirro Thomo says: “I browse the new album of architect Andi Papastefani on Gjirokastra with interest, but also with curiosity. This stems from the intriguing title itself, “Climbing and sketching”, i.e. wandering through the neighborhoods and alleys of Gjirokastra. What attracted the architect to this city with such a name and fame? How will he convey to the public the urban and architectural values of the city? How will his choices from this city match the prevailing scientific opinion? And at the end of browsing the album, this curiosity completely disappeared. Because, from the Castle, he chose the impressive play of arches and vaults (sketch 7). From the sketches of the inhabited ensembles, the coherence of the urban composition with the dynamism of the terrain clearly emerges (sketch 1, 23, 25, 31, 43). The protective character of the Gjirokastra dwelling has emerged through the monumentality of the Zekat family's dwelling (sketch 46). Not remaining at this stage, the architect has also assessed the evolution of the dwelling towards acquiring new architectural features (sketches 17, 34, etc.). The professional and artistic skills of the anonymous craftsmen occupy a considerable place in the album, such as: the dynamic volumetric composition of the Skendula family's house (sketch 49); the large gates artistically decorated as a symbol of the family's power but also as an invitation to hospitality (sketches 12, 16, 42); the rich interiors and the craftsmanship of wood carving, ceilings, cupboards and doors (sketches 22, 40, etc.). The rafters have not been neglected either, although their function is constructive to support the protruding and heavy roof canopy, they have not lacked elegance and decorative processing (sketches 57, 58, 70, 94). Thanking Andi for this important contribution to the attractive presentation of the architectural heritage, we wish the further continuation of this initiative that has been started.”
In the preface to the book “In Gjirokastra, climbing and sketching”, Ben Andoni writes “Flipping through the book, one becomes curious about a fact: How did its builders managed to avoid the ugly? Surprisingly, unlike us, our ancestors have managed to escape the ugly thanks to some innate and inherited concepts about the beneficial functions of aesthetics.”
While Skënder Luarasi writes “…Andi Papastefani's book on Gjirokastër is itself a drawing in its entirety, in the specific sense mentioned above, as a sequence of wanderings in the Stone City. In this way, the book becomes a psychogeographical map offering starting points for various itineraries, which are nonetheless left to us, the readers, to undertake, complete, retrace, and redraw
About the Author
Andi Papastefani (albanian, 1962) is an architect graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at the Polytechnic University of Tirana. After a period of architectural designing in Albania, he continued his studies in America for Historic Preservation in Boston Architectural College, and then for Landscape Architecture from Landscape Institute Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. He is an urban sketcher and instructor. For almost four decades, Andi Papastefani is using sketches as a medium of communication, exploration and documentation.
All photos, Copyright Alketa Misja
The project "In GJIROKASTRA, climbing and sketching" is supported by the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation MEKI
Books by the Author
