Back
Gjelltor-ism
Sabrina Morreale and Anja Troelenberg
Albania
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.