This hidden place is enclosed by skyscrapers and the continuous transformations of Tirana. We had the honour of being part of Dashira’s daily routine for a week. Her Gjelltore became for us a way to explore the identity of the neighbourhood: the needs, the hopes and the preoccupations of its citizens.
Her dedication to keeping this place open to serve workers, passersby and old acquaintances restores a precise sense of belonging against the fast pace of the city. Every day, tiny spontaneous gestures of care turn this small canteen into a gentle place of resistance.
We learned from Dashira’s Gjelltore how to grasp the mechanism of relationships and place-making. This is a shared space, where you are able to count on a warm meal, a point of reference open seven days a week: in one word a recipe for community building.
Gjelltor-ism is our method to interact with the urban environment - a new tool to trigger alternative futures for sensible city planning.