Archinect - News

MVRDV completes transformation of communist-era Tirana Pyramid monument in Albania

2023-10-17T20:11:00-04:00

The transformation of an aging brutalist monument to communism into a new tech education center geared toward teenagers in the capital city of Albania has been officially inaugurated following a three-and-a-half-year revitalization effort led by MVRDV.

The project remade the 127,000-square-foot Pyramid of Tirana, first established as a museum dedicated to the legacy of dictator Enver Hoxha in 1988, into the centerpiece of a new cultural hub and park space located in the heart of the city.

Image: © Ossip van Duivenbode/MVRDV

Brightly-colored boxes are stacked within, around, and on top of the original structure, providing areas for education and events programming, while the addition of outdoor steps to its sloping beams creates intriguing new public space possibilities for visitors. Some see it as a testament to the country’s dogged ability to overcome the collective memory of the Hoxha regime. MVRDV hopes it will turn into a “carrier” for the cult...

MVRDV designs mixed-use building in the shape of a bust of Albania's national hero

2022-08-03T16:20:00-04:00

Construction has begun on a mixed-use building by MVRDV that, at 279 feet tall and sculpted into the shape of a bust of Albania’s national hero, will be one of the world’s largest buildings that double as a sculpture. The Skanderbeg Building, officially known as Tirana’s Rock, will provide functional housing while serving as a landmark in the heart of Albania’s capital, Tirana.

Gjergj Kastrioti (1405-1468), commonly known as Skanderbeg, is a central figure in Albania’s history. He is celebrated for his role in Albania's conception as a nation-state. The building is located on the northeastern corner of the main public square in Tirana, which is named after the figure, Skanderbeg Square.

Image render courtesy of MVRDV.

“Carved” into the volume, Skanderbeg’s head is turned to the right facing the square, with "his shoulders aligning with the widest parts of the site," shares the firm. To achieve this design, balconies are found wrapped around the building on every level. Their curved ...

Hoxha’s Pyramid

2011-08-02T17:27:00-04:00

Albanians have been trying to figure out what to do with the pyramid for years. Just last month, the parliament passed a law to tear it down. Even so, opponents of the demolition are gathering petitions to save the building. And the current president is deciding whether to sign the bill or side with the protesters.

BIG to Design Major Cultural Center in Albania

2011-05-04T18:12:00-04:00

BIG, Martha Schwartz Landscape, Buro Happold, Speirs & Major, Lutzenberger & Lutzenberger, and Global Cultural Asset Management were today announced as the winning team of the international design competition for a new 27,000 m2 cultural complex in Albania, consisting of a Mosque, an Islamic Center, and a Museum of Religious Harmony.