# Tirana architecture developments



## IlliricumSacrum (May 12, 2005)

Tirana (capital of Albania) has been undergoing some developments regarding architecture. 10 buildings of 85m will be constructed, of which 3 have been already approved. A new terminal for the airport is being contructed, designed by Hin Tan (also designed Bilbao airport). I thought posting images of some projects and see what you think. 

*"Eyes of Tirana"* (85m) / designed by Henning Larsens Tegnestue

The new tower will stand out as a beacon of the regenerated centre of the capitol. With large, lit atriums floating over the city the tower stands as a lighthouse in focus of the pulsating radial streets of the quarter. The atriums appear as large eyes seeing the surrounding city, towards other high-rise buildings and the distant mountains.





































*"TID Tower"* (85m) / designed by 51n4e 



















*"4ever Green"* (85m) / designed by Archea Associati



















New terminal at Tirana International Airport (designed by Hin Tan)










*Polychrmoic Tower * / ~80m facade by Bolles and Wislon:


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## bayviews (Mar 3, 2006)

Really interesting to get an update on the developments in Tirana. Clearly, Albania's capital city has made remarkable progress over the past decade, with even more to come.


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## jacek_t83 (Dec 5, 2005)

Nice! I'm waiting for a last news from Tirana  How's the work goin'?


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## carvin77 (Mar 8, 2006)

i like very much the firs pic...


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## IlliricumSacrum (May 12, 2005)

jacek_t83 said:


> Nice! I'm waiting for a last news from Tirana  How's the work goin'?


Pretty well I have to say. There is a lot of contruction going on and construction companies because of the competition are considering nice architecture more. In Tirana there is a very low height limit inside the city yellow line. The ten 85m towers in the city center are among the only buildings going over 12 floors.

Some more things:

The renovation of Tirana International Hotel:










The new Orthodox Cathedral:










Renders from the regulatory plan for the suburbs:




























Renders from the Master Plan for the City Center, designed by Architecture Studio (FR):


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## endri.meneri (Mar 3, 2011)

*odd proportions*

Is it just me, but if you look carefully all the skyscrapers that are being proposed in the tirana city centre (85 m tall) have an inverted pyramid volume. That is, the floor plates are small at the bottom, and get larger at the top. This is at odds with the approved french master plan where the towers are crystal-like tapering towers, and in fact, it's at odds with the majority of the skyscraper projects worldwide. What happened to shadow studies? What about the naturally uncomfortable feeling of having large towers feel like they might topple. I noticed this first with the 5n4e TID Tower and I waved it off as an exception, but with the last three designs there is not much difference. It seems that even foreign architectural practices can not retain a certain sense of professional dignity in the face of Albanian real-estate hungering. Perhaps it is wrong to blame the employee, but someone, like the municipality, must place certain volumetric expectations. It seems like the only restriction for these projects is the height?

Just my two cents....


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