A map of Albania, the face of the country’s national hero and a house-covered facade are among the defining features of these eight skyscrapers currently under development in Tirana.
Tirana is undergoing a wave of development, with numerous international studios including MVRDV, Stefano Boeri and OODA creating high-profile, high-rise buildings in the city.
Here we round up seven of the most intriguing, which are set to transform the Albanian capital’s skyline:
Nearing completion alongside the city’s central square, the Skanderbeg Building will double as a “figurative sculpture” of Gjergj Kastrioti – a military commander known locally as Skanderbeg who revolted against the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century.
Dutch studio MVRDV, which renovated the nearby Pyramid of Tirana, designed the 85-metre-tall Skanderbeg Building to become a distinctive landmark for the city.
“These days, cities around the world increasingly look like each other – I always encourage them to resist this, to find their individual character and emphasise it,” said MVRDV founding partner Winy Maas.
“To me, the Skanderbeg Building is an opportunity to do just that. It brings new meaning to existing elements of Albanian architecture.”
Find out more about Skanderbeg Building ›
Made up of 13 staggered cubic volumes, the Hora Vertikale residential development is being designed by Portuguese studio OODA.
Each of the cubes, which will measure 22.5 metres by 22.5 metres, will contain seven floors of apartments. The building will be 140 metres high once complete.
“Each cube embodies a unique concept related to art and is also inspired by the local vernacular,” said OODA. “The result is a building that leaves a lasting impact on both city visitors and those who live there.”
Find out more about Hora Vertikale ›
Architecture studio OODA is also designing two connected skyscrapers that bend away and towards each other on Dritan Hoxha Avenue in the west of the city.
Named Bond Tower, the pair of skyscrapers is informed by the silhouette of a ballet dancer’s bent knees when performing the plié position.
“Characterised by two interconnected volumes of different heights that meet in a plié in the urban landscape, creating a silhouette reminiscent of the grace of ballet, the interplay of these forms avoids the creation of a massive urban volume, giving the building an elegant and iconic presence,” said OODA.
When complete, the buildings will contain residential, commercial, office and hotel spaces.
Find out more about Bond Tower ›
Another building on the list designed by MVRDV is Downtown One Tirana, which will be the tallest building in the country when it opens later this year.
The 150-metre-tall building, which is largely complete, is also located near the Pyramid of Tirana. Its defining feature will be a pixelated facade intended to look like a “map” of Albania.
“Albania has come a long way,” said Maas. “Ten years ago it was the poorest country in Europe. Now it is a country with energy and ambition, working towards great economic improvements,” he continued.
“We want to express this with our building.”
Find out more about Downtown One Tirana ›
Rruga Adem Jashari by Valerio Olgiati
Set to overtake eventually Downtown One Tirana as the country’s tallest building, the Rruga Adem Jashari development in central Tirana consists of three towers designed to look like “totemic figures”.
Designed by Swiss architect Valerio Olgiati, they will measure 150 metres, 192 metres and 266 metres in height and contain a mix of hotel rooms and apartments.
Find out more about Rruga Adem Jashari ›
Puzzle Tirana by Network of Architecture and Atelier4
Architecture studios Network of Architecture and Atelier4 designed the 71-metre-tall Puzzle Tirana high-rise with a facade of protruding blocks designed to resemble “the archetypal village house with a gabled roof”.
The building will contain 32,700 square metres of commercial space, apartments, penthouses and a hotel.
“The concept of the project comes from the fusion and densification of two worlds: urban and rural, into a single architectural intervention,” studio founder Lukas Rungger told Dezeen.
“The proposal celebrates the concept of abstracted puzzle pieces, always different but still similar, through its varying orientations the fragments collectively shape the facade, interweave with each other and create a common built collage.”
Find out more about Puzzle Tirana ›
Tirana Vertical Forest by Stefano Boeri
Also nearing completion is the latest vertical forest designed by Italian architect Boeri, which will occupy a site alongside the Arena Kombëtare in central Tirana.
Named Tirana Vertical Forest, the tower will be finished with 3,200 shrubs and bushes and 145 trees. The 21-storey-high residential tower will contain 105 apartments.
Find out more about Tirana Vertical Forest ›
New Boulevard by Chybik + Kristof
Set to be built on the central New Boulevard street, the 83-metre-high tower designed by Czech architecture studio Chybik + Kristof will be made from red concrete.
The mixed-use tower will have a cascading shape that narrows as it rises. It is planned as part of a new cultural district in the north of the city.
