In his communiqué a few hours ago, Mayor Erion Veliaj said that the building of the National Theater "could not even serve as a memorial" because "memory is connected with the place and architecture."
"Memory is about place and architecture. The first would be sacrificed for the second. The artists, 97 out of 98 of the National Theater, wanted one new theater in addition to one, including 60 votes from the City Council, including the community that voted for us, and this is more important than the proto-fascist facades that wiped back those sheet metal ceilings and the scuffles and the walls built as a temporary barracks for the entertainment of the Italian troops only during the occupation had exceeded its own age. ?
Regarding the reconstruction of the building, Veliaj said:
"Even if it was to be rebuilt, we had to demolish the building with materials that were no longer there and rebuild it from scratch. The valuable part of the stadium, the stones, was preserved in the stadium. Here we carved no stone and original and strong ornament that had stood the test of time. It falls to us to keep pieces of sawdust and matchstick. Only that valuable part of the stadium was preserved. If the theater were to be rebuilt, it would be rebuilt as a new building with old architecture. But if it is a reconstruction, why not rebuild a new building, which also has the stage, the backstage, etc. Why build a new ancient building? ?
