The Anti-Pole

This article is oriented by, and at the same time is part of the research on urban and architectural design instruments. More specifically, this article will address strategies for urban space regeneration at the settlement level. The purpose of this article is to research and rank several useful strategies that help us understand how similar interventions in the past, or even in the present urban contexts, have been done in order to improve their image and shape, which have been followed then by regeneration of the settlement. The aim is to rank a set of instruments, principles, or strategies which have been successful in the past and perhaps can still function as a generator to improve residence quality and also can orient ways of intervention in problematic areas, seeking the improvement of their quality. The initial hypothesis raised in this text is that the application of a physical or a cultural unit – defined here as the anti-pole – which by itself can be innovative, creates an echo over the entire settlement by elevating it to a superior level through improving image and spatial quality. The following methodology divides the article in three main parts: the first is dedicated to the etymo/epistemological definition of the anti-pole concept; the second analyzes several case studies that emphasize the use of the anti-pole as a strategy in urban interventions – starting from those of regeneration in Europe during the Renaissance period and ending occasionally in the Albanian context – while the third part is dedicated to conclusions. After the etymo/epistemological definition of the anti-pole, the investigated case studies will lead to a verification of the initial hypothesis, which results will be presented in the paragraph of the conclusions.