The first aim of the project was to clean the entire area of debris (including concrete and steel remains) and illegal constructions, in order to recover the lakeshore and give it back to the public sphere as well as to limit the use and presence of cars along the lakeshore. A new parking area is provided at the beginning of the intervention to promote the use of bicycles in the area.

On a larger scale, the square and the main central street are totally reconstructed including a wide range of civil works.
The reconstruction began with the civil infrastructure where a new sewage system has been constructed together with the water supply network. The buildings connected directly with the square are reconstructed including plastering, new roofs, doors and windows with the traditional elements.

On the small scale, Albanian Carpet creates serene, poetic wide spaces in front of the lake and the mountains on the other side of the lake, to allow people to enjoy unobstructed views and the different atmospheric conditions throughout the day and the different seasons of the year. The intervention consists of several relax and recreational areas including picnic areas, playgrounds and table game areas for all kinds of target groups.

The design is based conceptually on the traditional Albanian ODA (the living room of the traditional house) and the traditional patterns of the carpets still made by hand by women in the area. The translation of those traditional patterns into a pattern for the public space creates an emotional link with the domestic sphere and the traditions of Shiroka and helps to provide coherence to the design from concept to detail. The pattern becomes both an aesthetical and emotional structural spine of the whole.

Albanian Carpet has given citizens full access to the lakeshore. This has created a stronger feeling of ownership of the public space and has strengthened a feeling of belonging.

Every day of the year the area is accessed by citizens and tourists with all possible means of transport, bicycles, car, bus and on foot due to its favorable situation and landscape. People meet at all times of the day and share spaces with others deciding if they want to be more exposed to others or to enjoy more intimate spaces. The project offers a wide range of privacy degrees.

By cleaning the entire area, planting more vegetation, creating a big open-air 'living-room-for-all' and adding different recreational activities to the public space, Shiroka public space has been fully regenerated combining sustainability, aesthetics and inclusivity in its wide meaning.

MOBILITY, ACCESSIBILITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION:
Priority is given to the use of bicycles and pedestrians.
The pedestrianized area provides easy access to all points of the intervention and the use of share-pavement allows all target groups to profit from it without barriers and limitations. The space has become an open-air living room for everybody.

ANIMAL LIFE AND GREEN AREAS:
As the presence of cars has been limited and new trees have been planted, the air is cleaner and the area is safer also for animals. Several species of birds are colonizing again part of their former habitat.
 
SOCIAL INTERACTION AND PROMOTION OF LOCAL ECONOMY:
Thanks to the creation of a square without physical obstacles, all kinds of recreational activities are taking place during the whole year, especially during the warmer months, but not only. Open-air cinema, concerts, children's activities and even political meetings take place in Shiroka square.

According to the client, it is estimated that more than 3,000 inhabitants and 5,000 visitors benefit from the new project every day, which is having a great impact on daily life and the economy of the