Albania is now witnessing an influx of ambitious projects, many by world-renowned international architects, that begin to redefine the skylines of Tirana and beyond. Albania’s Prime Minister, and former Tirana mayor, Edi Rama, has even pointed out that ‘Albania produces more architecture than the rest of Europe,’ a claim that reflects a construction frenzy that has made architecture one of the most visible symbols of change in the country.

designboom discusses this creative boom with key figures shaping Albania’s transformation, including Stefano Boeri, MVRDV’s Winy Maas, Christian Kerez, Beat Huesler of Oppenheim Architecture, and the team at Bofill Taller de Arquitectura, to explore how global architecture is helping redraw the cultural and urban landscape of the country.

Pyramid of Tirana by MVRDV (read more here) | image © Ossip van Duivenbode

how leadership, planning, and global talent reshape a country

A former artist, Rama prioritized urban revitalization since his mayoral tenure in the early 2000s. He famously beautified drab facades with vibrant colors and cleared illegal structures, setting the stage for larger transformations. After becoming prime minister, Rama launched the Tirana of the New Generation initiative in 2014, personally inviting 32 international architects to reimagine the capital. Around the same time, Tirana’s government commissioned Italian architect and urban planner Stefano Boeri to craft the Tirana 2030 Master Plan, envisioning sustainable growth, vertical development, and a massive ‘orbital forest.’ Boeri describes the city as ‘the most interesting and up-to-date, and therefore the most controversial and debatable, museum of contemporary architecture in the world,’ arguing that the sheer number and speed of projects have turned Tirana into an urban school of architecture in real time. ‘Our studio Stefano Boeri Architetti, which, in addition to the 2030 Master Plan, has already completed six buildings for Tirana and is building and designing another six, is therefore now fully involved, both as a student and as a teacher, in this International Urban School of Architecture,’ he tells us.

Swiss architect Christian Kerez compares the rapid transformation of the country to early-2000s China, noting, ‘You feel an energy and vitality, which is not abstract, but you can feel in the daily life.’ What sets Albania apart, he shares with designboom, is that the transformation is curated from the top: ‘It is curated by the highest governmental official, the prime minister, Edi Rama. He is personally supervising the architectural projects for all large and exposed plots.’

Today, a mix of completed landmarks, active construction sites, and visionary proposals illustrates Albania’s unique creative surge. From repurposed communist monuments to futuristic towers and ‘vertical villages,’ these projects showcase a country in architectural flux. 

Red Sol Resort by Bofill Taller de Arquitectura (read more here) | image courtesy of the architects

Built Landmarks

MVRDV’s transformation of the former Pyramid of Tirana into a vibrant youth cultural center is one of the most symbolic of Albania’s design renaissance. The brutalist landmark was preserved and reactivated with colorful, climbable structures that house tech classrooms and public gathering spaces, a clear nod to the power of adaptive reuse. Winy Maas, co-founder of the international architecture and urbanism office, reflects on this reinvention as a gesture of pride and contextual storytelling. ‘With the Pyramid of Tirana, we monumentalized the history of the building and its changed relationship with Tirana’s citizens,’ he reflects. Topped out in 2020, Downtown One, also by MVRDV, soars with cantilevered balconies shaped into a pixel map of the country – a literal vertical Albania. ‘Our projects near Skanderbeg Square make direct references to Albania’s history and geography – Downtown One with its map, the Skanderbeg Building with the statue of the former hero,’ Maas tells us.

Elsewhere in the city, built projects reveal how this architectural shift extends into public space, everyday life, and symbolic form. Stefano Boeri’s Blloku Cube introduces a compact yet highly visible intervention in Tirana’s once-restricted district, using iridescent surfaces and transparency to signal the transformation of the area into a hub for the creative economy. At the civic scale, 51N4E’s redesign of Skanderbeg Square performs a more radical act by removing traffic altogether, reshaping the city’s central plaza into a pedestrian landscape where architecture recedes in favor of collective use, ceremony, and urban calm.

This logic of hybridity carries through Archea Associati’s Air Albania Stadium, where sport, commerce, and hospitality are compressed into a single composition. Nearby, Studio Libeskind’s Magnet Residences extend symbolic thinking into the domestic realm, abstracting the Albanian eagle into curving residential forms organized around shared green spaces.

Stefano Boeri’s Blloku Cube (read more here) | image courtesy of the architects

Approved & Under Construction

A generation of next-wave architecture is rising across Tirana and beyond. BIG’s design for the new National Theatre broke ground in 2022 and introduces a dramatic bowtie-shaped cultural facility that anchors a new arts quarter. OODA’s Hora Vertikale rethinks the tower as a vertical neighborhood, stacking 13 modular volumes into a staggered, plant-covered form. Mount Tirana, designed by CEBRA, abstracts the silhouette of Albania’s mountains into a jagged vertical profile that could one day become the country’s tallest structure. 

Steven Holl’s Expo Albania reimagines a conventional convention center as a sculptural pair of signature buildings linked by landscape and light. Oppenheim Architecture, deeply embedded in Albania’s urban evolution, is advancing the New Boulevard Tower and the Vlora Beach Tower. ‘Albania’s creative boom carries a remarkable openness, a moment where the spirit of place is being rediscovered while the country transforms at great speed. What compels us as international practitioners is the chance to learn from context and to build with the land not on the land, embracing honesty in materials and the quiet power already present,’ notes Beat Huesler, director of the team at Oppenheim Architecture Europe. ‘Our work there seeks a kind of silent monumentality, architecture that responds to this energy with humility and clarity, allowing the landscape and culture to lead.”

Christian Kerez emphasizes that realizing these designs requires long-term commitment. ‘It is easy to make a rendering and very hard and difficult to build,’ he says. ‘We always follow closely the steps from concept design to site supervision.’ This level of dedication led him to open an office in Albania, where he now spends half his time.

New Boulevard Tower by Oppenheim Architecture (read more here) | rendering by MIR

Visionary Proposals

Some of the most speculative and exhilarating designs remain on the drawing board. MVRDV’s Grand Ballroom, a spherical sports arena wrapped in apartments, challenges the typology of stadiums by merging culture, housing, and entertainment into one orbital gesture. For Maas, it is another part of Tirana’s urban narrative: ‘The Grand Ballroom acts as another part of the Tirana collection, showing the city’s ambitions and creating another landmark.’

Bofill Taller de Arquitectura, whose recent and forthcoming work spans the Albanian Riviera and the capital, engages both topography and skyline without imposing a singular formal language. The studio frames its Albanian projects as site-specific responses to radically different landscapes, from steep coastal cliffs to dense urban contexts. ‘The landscapes of Albania are all completely different,’ the architects note, ‘so naturally each project is approached in a completely different manner. We want to find the unique spirit of a place, and in Albania we have been given the freedom to do this.’ This attitude underpins a body of work that resists iconic repetition in favor of contextual continuity. ‘There has always been the temptation for an architect to plant their flag over the landscape,’ the team tells designboom. ‘We don’t approach architecture in this way. We aim for buildings that are of their context and actively looking to improve it, whether that’s bettering access, encouraging wildlife, or providing social space for the community.’

Boeri describes these proposals as part of Tirana’s unique urban ecosystem. ‘Ideas are transformed into urban artifacts with unexpected speed. Mineral artifacts, traversed by everyday life.’ he shares with us.

MVRDV’s Grand Ballroom (read more here) | image © Antonio Luca Coco, Angelo La Delfa, Luana La Martina, Jaroslaw Jeda, Stefano Fiaschi, Ciprian Buzdugan

building identity in real time

Almost every architect designboom spoke with pointed to the role of Edi Rama as an unprecedented figure in contemporary development. As Christian Kerez observes, ‘What is different from any country I know about this process of transformation is that it is curated by the highest governmental official (…) He is personally supervising the architectural projects for all large and exposed plots.’ For many, this direct involvement has helped turn architectural competitions and urban policy into a live cultural project. Bofill Taller de Arquitectura describes the boom as ‘a moment of rebirth’ enabled by Rama’s leadership, a system that ‘allows and values creative freedom.’

Winy Maas highlights how Albania offers national identity expressed through architecture. ‘Instead of producing safe, boring buildings that make every city look the same, Albania is incentivising creative innovation,’ he tells designboom. But he also sees deeper implications. The creative boom, he argues, is not just about buildings but about pride and cultural presence within Europe. ‘How does a country like Albania maintain its individual identity in a Union that features so many wealthier, larger, more populous nations? Architecture is one way.’ he tells designboom. Stefano Boeri, too, frames Albania as a model for international practice: ‘Tirana and Albania are now a real-time laboratory for the most advanced ideas in contemporary architecture… a true School where architecture can be simultaneously learned and taught.’

SIMA Tower by Christian Kerez

campus for the College of Europe by Oppenheim Architecture (read more here) | all renders © MIR

Bjarke Ingels Group’s Faith Park (read more here) | visualization © Beauty and the Bit

Steven Holl Architects’ Expo Albania (read more here) | render by the architects

Hora Vertikale by OODA (read more here) | image © Plomp

Papuli Tower by Bofill Taller de Arquitectura

Mount Tirana by CEBRA (read more here) | image courtesy of the architects

CHYBIK + KRISTOF (CHK)’s ODA Tirana (read more here) | image courtesy of the architects

Veterinary Hospital in Tirana by Davide Macullo Architects (read more here) | image courtesy of the architects

Tirana’s Selman Stërmasi Stadium revitalization by OMA (read more here) | image courtesy of OMA

Valona Hills I-Cones by Davide Macullo Architects

Archi-Tectonics’ Festival City (read more here) | visualizations © Archi-Tectonics

Tirana 2030 by Stefano Boeri

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Oppenheim Architecture designs a signature villa along the cliffs of Jalë Bay in Albania, as part of a collection of four residences embedded within the larger Jalë Bay Development. Perched between mountain and sea, the project demonstrates the studio’s philosophy of creating architecture that is inseparable from its site.

Guided by the principles of ‘spirit of place, silent monumentality, and the essential,’ the design is imagined as a direct response to the raw, coastal landscape. The villa emerges from the hillside as a carved concrete form, its geometry drawn from the language of caves and ancient stone structures.

Other Albanian projects by Oppenheim Architecture include the Vlore Beach Urban Development with its all-red beach tower, the New Boulevard Tower in Tirana, and the Panorama Hilltop Retreat.

visualizations © MIR

oppenheim Architecture’s Dialogue with place

Rather than appearing as an object placed on the terrain, Oppenheim Architecture’s villa in Albania reads as a continuation of the surrounding geology. Cast-in-place concrete walls, etched with geometric reliefs inspired by traditional Albanian embroidery, establish a material connection to both history and topography. The rough permanence of the cliffside is complemented by the precision of the constructed form.

The arrival sequence reinforces this sense of integration. The design team carves a descending entry, where excavated earth and constructed surfaces overlap. The entry stair, hewn into the slope, forms a compressed threshold before releasing into open views, framing the Ionian horizon.

the Signature Villa in Albania is embedded into the cliffs of Jalë Bay

interiors to frame the cliffs of albania

Inside the villa, the design by Oppenheim Architecture maintains a consistent dialogue with the cliffy setting of coastal Albania. Openings are positioned to capture both expansive sea views and the textured rock walls of the excavation. Light is treated as a spatial element, shifting across surfaces over the course of the day. Furnishings and finishes are restrained, allowing framed views to become the primary visual focus.

A cantilevered pool extends from the cliff edge, acting as a linear plane that reflects both sky and sea. This gesture reinforces the villa’s position at the meeting point of vertical rock and horizontal water.

The interiors balance the structural weight of concrete with softer, tactile elements. Light fabrics, textured plaster, and crafted details bring a sense of intimacy to the otherwise monolithic form. Shutters filter light, creating patterns that shift with the sun and blur the threshold between interior and exterior spaces.

a cantilevered pool creates a visual link between mountain and water

Oppenheim Architecture designs the villa as an extension of the landscape

the arrival sequence is shaped as a carved descent through the hillside

cast-in-place concrete walls feature patterns inspired by Albanian embroidery

the villa embodies Oppenheim Architecture’s philosophy of silent monumentality

interiors frame views of the Ionian Sea and exposed rock walls

project info:

name: OA Signature Villa

design architect: Oppenheim Architecture | @oppenheimarchitecture

location: Jalë Beach, Albania

built area: 400 square meters

completion: expected 2026

visualizations: © MIR | @mir.no

architect of record: MA Studio & Partners

client: Millennium Group

principles in charge: Chad Oppenheim, Beat Huesler
design lead: Rasem Kamal
project contributors: Natacha Viveiros, Victoire Brem, Olha Tymczuk, Kseniia Ponomar
interior design: Marinana Charters, Dina Muti

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At the northern edge of Tirana’s historic center, Oppenheim Architecture breaks ground on New Boulevard Tower, a 38-story residential building that will stand among the tallest in Albania. The footprint of this project is anchored by a new public plaza that draws together three of the city’s most significant spatial axes: the park, the boulevard, and the square.

The facade of New Boulevard Tower is built in cast-in-place concrete, using textures and pigments drawn from Tirana’s architectural palette. Throughout the building, wraparound balconies open each apartment to wide views over the city. The top three floors are designed as penthouses, oriented toward the future park.

all visualizations by MIR 

local context shapes New Boulevard Tower

The project is led by Oppenheim Architecture’s Tirana studio, where a team of local architects and planners has been steadily contributing to Albania’s evolving built environment. New Boulevard Tower continues that trajectory with a material and spatial language shaped by local context.

The building rises along Northern Boulevard, a newly developed spine that is central to Tirana’s ongoing shift toward more sustainable and pedestrian-centered planning. As part of a long-term city-wide strategy, over 65% of the redesigned urban core is being allocated to foot and cycle traffic. The role of the tower in this transition is less about visual dominance and more about how it connects different layers of urban life, tying public infrastructure to residential programs, and open space to vertical density.

Oppenheim Architecture breaks ground on New Boulevard Tower

green roofs top the project

At street level, the plaza provides a shared ground where public movement converges and overlaps, creating space for everyday use rather than formal programming. ‘This is one of many projects we are delivering in Albania,’ notes Beat Huesler, the firm’s Europe Director. ‘We’re working from our Tirana studio to support the city’s evolution through architecture that reflects place and community.’

The tower also incorporates environmental systems in line with Tirana’s broader ecological ambitions. These include green roofs, energy-efficient infrastructure, and passive design strategies. While relatively modest in appearance, such elements signal a shift in how private development is being aligned with public sustainability goals in the city.

the 38-story residential building will stand among the tallest in Albania

wraparound balconies open each apartment to wide views over the city

the facade of New Boulevard Tower is built in cast-in-place concrete

the footprint of this project is anchored by a new public plaza

connecting different layers of urban life

using textures and pigments drawn from Tirana’s architectural palette

the plaza provides a shared ground where public movement converges and overlaps

project info:

name: New Boulevard Tower

architect: Oppenheim Architecture | @oppenheimarchitecture

location: Tirana, Albania

visualizations: MIR | @mir.no

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Set against the shimmering backdrop of the Adriatic Sea, Vlore Beach Tower by Oppenheim Architecture introduces a striking presence to Albania’s fast-changing waterfront skyline as part of the city’s Beach Urban Development (find designboom’s previous coverage here).

Just three kilometers south of Vlore’s historic center, this all-red architectural landmark is taking shape and is currently under construction. Rising 21 stories from a prominent corner site along the developing marina district of the city, the project responds to a place in flux. As Vlore grows and its waterfront transforms, this residential tower aims to anchor that change.

all visualizations by MIR 

all-red concrete facade envelopes Vlore Beach Tower

For the design, the Miami- and Basel-based team at Oppenheim Architecture design takes cues from the idea of genius loci, the spirit of place, a concept made famous by Norwegian architect and theorist Christian Norberg-Schulz. Vlore Beach Tower aims to belong to its setting, an intention that comes through in its material choices. The facade is made of bush-hammered concrete, its warm reddish tone reflecting the mineral palette of southern Albania. Loggias wrap around each residential level, offering shade, air, and framed views of the sea, extending daily life outdoors in a way that feels natural for the Mediterranean climate.

At street level, a large volumetric carve-out forms a public plaza and retail frontage, activating the base of the tower and connecting it to the beach and the adjacent Vlore Beach Masterplan. This threshold invites passersby into the space, encouraging movement between the promenade, the marina, and the tower’s public realm. Part of this base includes a media wall of vertical LED strips, which can display digital art, storytelling, or even local events. 

this all-red architectural landmark is taking shape and is currently under construction

107 residential units compose the project

Vlore Beach Tower houses 107 residential units, ranging from compact one-bedrooms to expansive duplex penthouses, each oriented for optimal views and daylight. The uppermost floor is reserved as a private sanctuary for the penthouses’ resting spaces, while a rooftop bar offers panoramic views of the water and the city beyond — becoming a shared social landmark. Circulation is kept clear and intuitive, with dedicated entrances for residences, offices, the rooftop venue, and the underground garage, the latter of which preserves the ground plane as a fully walkable and public urban surface.

Through this project, Oppenheim Architecture aims to contribute meaningfully to the transformation of Albania’s southern coastline with a design that suggests a model of contextual sensitivity. 

the project responds to a place in flux

at street level, a large volumetric carve-out forms a public plaza and retail frontage

a striking presence to Albania’s fast-changing skyline

this residential tower aims to anchor the Vlore waterfront transformation

the warm reddish tone reflects the mineral palette of southern Albania

extending daily life outdoors

loggias wrap around each residential level, offering shade, air, and framed views of the sea

Vlore Beach Tower houses 107 residential units

the uppermost floor is reserved as a private sanctuary for the penthouses’ resting spaces

encouraging movement between the promenade, the marina, and the tower’s public realm

rising 21 stories from a prominent corner site along the developing marina district of the city

a media wall of vertical LED strips can display digital art, storytelling, or even local events

project info:

name: Vlore Beach Tower

architect: Oppenheim Architecture | @oppenheimarchitecture

location: Vlore, Albania

land area: 1,558 square meters

built-up area: 16,576 square meters

client: Materia Cons 01

architect of record: Laago Architects

Oppenheim team: Chad Oppenheim, Beat Huesler, Tom McKeogh, Rasem Kamal, Jose Maria Urbiola, Joana Sousa, Kristijan Markoc, Daniela Abella, Olha Tymczuk, Martino Cucurnia, Inaya Berger, Samuel Heitz

visualizations: MIR | @mir.no

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As Vlore, Albania, continues to evolve along its Adriatic shoreline, Oppenheim Architecture introduces a fresh layer to the city’s waterfront fabric with a large-scale development. Set at a junction between the old town, the Soda Forest, and a newly built marina, the Vlore Beach Urban Development spans a 20,465-square-meter site and adds 89,320 square meters of new construction. At its heart is a central pedestrian promenade that runs from boulevard to beach, intended as a public spine that connects architecture with landscape and everyday life with the larger rhythms of the city.

The masterplan draws on the structure of Albanian village clusters, spontaneous, irregular, and shaped by social closeness, reimagined here through a series of nukli, or small-scale urban blocks. These colorful, human-scaled buildings are organized around shared spaces and stitched together by a civic corridor lined with cafés, squares, shops, and shaded public areas. The intent is to support a street life that feels open-ended, including spaces for markets, performances, casual gatherings, and informal rituals.

all renderings by MIR

Stone and Timber compose the Human-Scaled Blocks

For these low-rise buildings, the team at Oppenheim Architecture uses stone, lime-based plasters, and timber detailing, referencing local construction techniques without replicating them. Their ground floors remain porous, encouraging overlap between commercial and communal activity. Above, shutters and screens introduce texture and rhythm while hinting at vernacular patterns, translated into a contemporary vocabulary.

Three towers, set within the block structure, rise above the otherwise modest scale of the neighborhood. Their positioning preserves view corridors and open space, while their facades follow the same design language to keep the architectural conversation consistent. 

Vlore Beach Urban Development treats the site as a point of convergence, a place where the natural and built environments, the inherited and the emerging are layered.

Oppenheim Architecture introduces a fresh layer to the Vlore’s waterfront fabric

the Vlore Beach Urban Development spans a 20,465-square-meter site

a central pedestrian promenade that runs from boulevard to beach

the masterplan draws on the structure of Albanian village clusters

a public spine that connects architecture with landscape

a civic corridor lined with cafés, squares, shops, and shaded public areas

for low-rise buildings Oppenheim Architecture uses stone, lime-based plasters, and timber detailing

ground floors remain porous

the intent is to support a street life that feels open-ended

shutters and screens introduce texture

colorful, human-scaled buildings are organized around shared spaces

three towers rise above the otherwise modest scale of the neighborhood

a series of small-scale urban blocks

project info:

name: Vlore Beach Urban Development

architect: Oppenheim Architecture | @oppenheimarchitecture

location: Vlore, Albania

site area: 20,465 square meters

built-up area: 89,320 square meters

client: Feniks Konstruksion SH.P.K.

head architects: Chad Oppenheim, Beat Huesler

design leads: Tom McKeogh (studio leader Europe), Rasem Kamal (design lead Europe)

masterplan lead: Alexandre Mecattaf

project concept leads: Jose Maria Urbiola (concept + SD refinement)

design team: Daniela Abella, Kristijan Markoc, Quirin Batsch, Helena Riesenberger, Laura Radics, Joana Sousa, Janet Vutcheva, Martino Cucurnia, Samuel Heitz, Inaya Berger

renderings: MIR | @mir.no

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Oppenheim Architecture’s Desert Rock resort in the Hejaz Mountains, Saudi Arabia, finally opens. It is part of the Red Sea Project, dubbed the world’s most ambitious luxury tourism development currently under construction on the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coast. The Desert Rock is the recently completed architecture on site. The team has designed it as a resort nestled within the ancient mountains of Hejaz in the region of western Saudi Arabia and along the Red Sea coast. Oppenheim Architecture draws inspiration from the Nabataean civilization, which once inhabited the Arabian Peninsula and is renowned for its rock-carved architecture.

Visitors arrive at a hidden valley, which is the access point to the resort. The architecture sprawls across 30,000 square meters of land. The accommodations range from ground-level villas to suites embedded within the mountains. All of them benefit from natural light as they are raised from the ground as well as due to the large openings of the windows to mimic the cave mouths. Oppenheim Architecture says that the construction of the Desert Rock resort, now open to the public, has not obstructed the historic Hejaz Mountains.

all images courtesy of Red Sea Global and Oppenheim Architecture

Accommodations from cliff hanging to hidden villas

Oppenheim Architecture has worked with the developer Red Sea Global for the completion of the Desert Rock resort in Saudi Arabia. It has different villas with varying design features. The Wadi Villas have private pools and spacious living areas. There are also Cliff Hanging Villas that perch high above the resort for aerial views. For more private spaces, visitors can stay in the Mountain Cave Suites and Mountain Crevice Villas. They have cliffside pools suspended on the edges of the Massif. As for the Royal Villa, it cocoons in one part of the valley for a private retreat.

For the construction of the Desert Rock, Oppenheim Architecture says to have repurposed excavated materials. The architectural team then adds that they have used ‘passive cooling and efficient systems to reduce energy consumption’ and native plants to embed greenery within the rocky spaces. ‘By respecting and enhancing the natural environment, we have created a sanctuary that allows guests to experience the beauty and power of the landscape in deeply personal and meaningful ways,’ says Chad Oppenheim, Founding Principal of Oppenheim Architecture. 

the architecture graces within 30,000 square meters of land

visitors arrive at a hidden valley, which is the access point to the resort

in detail, the Cliff Hanging Villas perch high above the resort for aerial views

there are also private spaces such as rooms with cliffside pools suspended on the edges of the Massif

the accommodations range from ground-level villas to suites embedded within the mountains

Oppenheim Architecture says to have repurposed excavated materials for the construction

project info:

name: Desert Rock

architects: Oppenheim Architecture | @oppenheimarchitecture

developer: Red Sea Global | @redseaglobal

location: Saudi Arabia

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Architecture, planning, and interior practice Oppenheim Architecture infuses Cypriot architectural elements with Ukrainian heritage in the Smartland Villas project, located on a scenic south bay near Larnaca. Creating a community-oriented living experience, the project draws from traditional arches and cascading volumes with design details inspired by Ukrainian culture, offering 38 villas across seven distinct typologies. The development provides shared amenities like a swimming pool, tennis court, gym, market, café, and a beach club that invite residents to gather, relax, and connect with each other.

all images by Fat Tony Studio, courtesy of Oppenheim Architecture

community-oriented living centers the project in cyprus

In keeping with the design philosophy of Oppenheim Architecture, Smartland weaves formal local characteristics into a contemporary context. The villas are designed to capture the natural light of Cyprus, while carefully placed landscaping connects inside and out, grounding residents in their environment.

Central to Smartland is its community-focused layout, with a spacious car-free garden running through the heart of the site. Situated behind the private backyards of each villa, this green space provides a tranquil retreat for residents, enhancing both privacy and access to nature. The garden promotes a calm environment and supports daily interactions among neighbors.

Oppenheim Architecture infuses Cypriot architectural elements with Ukrainian heritage

the Smartland Villas project is located on a scenic south bay near Larnaca

creating a community-oriented living experience

offering 38 villas across seven distinct typologies

Smartland Villas also incorporate a swimming pool, tennis court, gym, market, café, and a beach club

the project draws from traditional arches and cascading volumes

Ukrainian culture influences Oppenheim Architecture

the development provides shared amenities

residents can gather, relax, and connect with each other

project info:

name: Smartland Villas

architect: Oppenheim Architecture | @oppenheimarchitecture

location: Pyla, Cyprus

land area: 38,365 sqm

built-up area: 7,500 sqm

interior designer: Oppenheim Architecture

local architect: Architecture Design Practice | @adpcyprus

landscape consultant: H. Pangalou & Associates Landscape Architects | @hpalandscape

lighting consultant: ASlight | @aslight_studio

wayfinding consultant: WeDesign | @wedesign.gr

acoustics consultant: Sergios Fotiadis

principles in charge: Chad Oppenheim, Beat Huesler

project manager: Tom McKeogh, Lucie Skorepova

project contributeres: Aleksanrda Troc, Camillo Cavarretta, Dina Muti, Firas Elhamdi, Flavia

Groba Rohrer, Joyce Frisella, Laura Radics, Sabine Ariqat

visualisation studio: Fat Tony Studio | @fattony_studio

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Oppenheim Architecture, together with Albanian studio Atelier 4, unveils the design of a third campus for the College of Europe in Tirana. Established on the initiative of the Hague Congress, the school initially opened in Bruges, Belgium, before expanding to Natolin, Poland, in 1992 as a way to support the country and region after the fall of communism in their wish to be part of a unified Europe. Whereas the previous two campuses were housed inside historical structures, the new Tirana campus proposal is the first to be designed specifically for the college, brining new dynamics to the student city. This project follows the opening of the studio’s offices in the Albanian capital. 

all renders © MIR

oppenheim architecture taps into history and social fabric

After careful research into Tirana’s history, culture, and emblematic student hub, the team at Oppenheim Architecture recognized that beyond the city’s materials, colors, and textures, the social life is central to its urban fabric. Ground and first floors are almost exclusively occupied by shops, restaurants, and social spaces, acting as urban extensions. Likewise, during the 1991 student protests demanding economic change and resignation of the communist government, the campus of Tirana University, and more specifically the Godina LIRIA building, adjacent to the new College of Europe site, became the heart of the movement where thousands of students took to the roofs and loggias and demanded change. Inspired by this history, the architects envisioned the Tirana campus as more than just a place for students and EU delegates. It would become a hub for social, cultural, and diplomatic exchange between the campus and the public.

proposal for third campus of College of Europe in Tirana

combining albanian culture and EU ideologies

Reflecting EU democratic values, the campus is organized with distinct buildings dedicated to specific programs. A gateway building at the entrance houses public functions like an information center, museum, library, and event space. To the east, adjacent to a sports park, the university building contains classrooms, offices, and lecture halls, while a diplomatic building south of the campus includes a café, meeting rooms, and apartments for visiting diplomats. All buildings are centered around a circular agora’, a concrete dome reminiscent of Albania’s historic bunkers, designed for lectures, addresses, and performances.

the central dome, in a sandy-colored concrete, features arches around its perimeter

The layout for the College of Europe campus in Tirana promotes social interaction, with each floor leading users from the most social to the more private zones. The ground floor acts as a grand foyer that extends outward, connecting the buildings with a covered area and creating green roof terraces as an extension of the sports park. Inside, each building is organized to lead users from public areas to private spaces. Rooftops function as social spaces, while loggias on each floor serve as visual connectors between the buildings, fostering a sense of unity. The ‘agora’, designed with concentric seating, creates a communal experience, allowing for flexible use, from lectures to performances.

To that effect, unlike traditional auditoriums where the public is on one side and the stage on the other, the ‘agora’ organizes the public in concentric seating around a circular stage in a manner evoking ancient Greek theaters. This arrangement allows for a multitude of seating scenarios, each determined by the use of the space. For example, a university lecture or diplomatic address would require 2/3 of the seats to be occupied and a unidirectional use of the stage, however, a contemporary dance performance could have the entirety of the seats taken for a 360 experience of the show.

Oppenheim Architecture highlights the city’s social life

Meanwhile, the choice of materials, colors, and textures is influenced by Tirana’s architectural landscape, Albanian history, and the College of Europe’s EU ideologies. As a result, buildings and terraces are constructed from texturized, dark-red pigmented concrete. Inspired by the ‘Ode to Joy’ music sheet, the design playfully arranges structural and decorative elements, creating a harmonious look while also acting as brise-soleils to help regulate the buildings’ climate. The facades facing the agora are smooth and solid, ready for full-length murals by local artists that will interact with each other visually. The central dome, in a sandy-colored concrete, features arches of different sizes around its perimeter, offering both visual interest and a connection between the interior and exterior spaces.

brise-soleils create playful light and shadow patterns

‘agora’ organizes the public in concentric seating around a circular stage to evoke ancient Greek theaters

College of Europe combines EU ideologies and Albanian history

a cluser of dark-red concrete volumes

project info:

name: College of Europe – Tirana Campus | @collegeofeuropeofficial

architect: Oppenheim Architecture | @oppenheimarchitecture

location: Tirana, Albania

client: Adelina Greca, College of Europe

OA principals in charge: Chad Oppenheim, Beat Huesler

project manager: Alexandre Mecattaf

project contributers: Janet Vutcheva, Ece Emanetoglu

renderings: MIR | @mir.no

site area : 7,700 sqm

building area: 9,850 sqm

landscaping area: 5,500 sqm

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Tucked between the neighborhoods of Xhamlliku and Kinostudio, the Tirana Tower by Oppenheim Architecture expands on the Albanian city’s current revitalization efforts of reimagining cultural heritage through a modern lens. The concrete-clad design evokes deep respect for the local urban context; unlike typical high-rise residential developments, the tower integrates smoothly with its surroundings, featuring a ground level that connects with local businesses and a welcoming park, promoting an active pedestrian space that engages the community.

renders © MIR, Rasem Kamal

textured precast concrete panels recall albanian embroidery

Inspired by Albanian craftsmanship, particularly local embroidery motifs, Oppenheim Architecture (see more here) incorporated these cultural elements into the design. The facade uses textured precast concrete panels that honor traditional tapestries while framing city views, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadow, blending modern aesthetics with Tirana’s historical craftsmanship. Inside, Tirana Tower features optimized apartment layouts. Each apartment is carefully planned to maximize space and functionality for modern urban living. A standout feature is the wrap-around loggia on each floor, offering residents a shaded outdoor space with panoramic views of the city.

Tirana Tower by Oppenheim Architecture

Beyond its architecture, the Tirana Tower proposal, currently under construction, will reshape the urban skyline while respecting its past and, particularly, its cultural heritage. The design pulls the tower back from the street, creating an inviting public space that fosters social interaction and cultural exchange. This approach ultimately enriches the city’s urban experience by providing a multifunctional space for both residents and visitors. Given its latest involvements in Albania, from towers and mixed-use developments to the Besa Museum Extension, Oppenheim Architecture is opening a Tirana studio this coming September.

inspired by Albanian craftsmanship, particularly local embroidery motifs

the facade uses textured precast concrete panels that honor traditional tapestries

Tirana Tower by Oppenheim Architecture creates a dynamic interplay of light and shadow

promoting an active pedestrian space that engages the community

a ground level that connects with local businesses and a welcoming park

each apartment is carefully planned to maximize space and functionality for modern urban living

project info:

name: Tirana Tower 

architect: Oppenheim Architecture | @oppenheimarchitecture

location: Tirana, Albania
local architect: Focus Architecture

OA principals in charge: Chad Oppenheim, Beat Huesler
project lead: Alexandre Mecattaf
contributers: Tom Mckeogh, Rasem Kamal, Junik Balisha, Suard Cengu, Quirin Batsch

visualizations: MIR | @mir.no, Rasem Kamal

client: Mr. Frangaj
site area : 2,990 sqm
building area: 22,750 sqm

The post oppenheim architecture reimagines embroidery motifs as textured concrete tower in tirana appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Perched atop a dramatic hillside facing the Ionian Sea, the Panorama Hilltop Retreat is a modern reinterpretation of vernacular aesthetics in Albania‘s Dhërmi village. The proposal, signed by Oppenheim Architecture, envisions the soon-to-be hospitality destination as a cluster of terraced buildings, each hugging the site’s topographic contours, with private views of the Mediterranean open waters. Even more, the design is carefully steeped in Albanian and Greek influences, a hybrid trait strongly reflected across the region and nearby town.

Panorama Hilltop Retreat by Oppenheim Architecture | render © MIR

honoring vernacular village designs along albania’s coast

The team at Oppenheim Architecture (see more here) began by studying the local building forms and materials to discover different aspects of their typologies. Initial impressions revealed that they were designed and built in a way that provides comfort through natural ventilation, specifically in the neighboring hill town of Dhërmi. While exploring the village, the architects were equally intrigued by its massive masonry walls, ingenious shading devices, and local landscape, which plays a massive role in shaping that town, allowing it to merge within itself entirely and with the Ionian Sea. As a result, elements of the Panorama Hilltop Retreat are carefully selected to capture the site’s genius loci. 

envisioning a cluster of stepped buildings facing the Ionian Sea |  render © MIR

A village ‘Shesh’ (a plaza in Albanian) welcomes guests from the street. Within the retreat, pools and native landscapes help cool outdoor spaces, while loggias provide shelter, shadow, and movement. As one moves further through, contemporary elements, like an underground spa and private and communal infinity pools, reveal the complete nature and character of the hotel. Meanwhile, a lobby, restaurant, bar, and small chapel all face the square. ‘These social, spiritual, and cultural spaces reflect the growing presence of this destination’s profile within the tourism economy. In addition, it provides a wide range of amenities and supporting programs such as a spa, fitness suite, exclusive sunset club, VIP and event spaces, and accommodation,’ notes Oppenheim Architecture. The Panorama Hilltop Retreat holds 59 hotel keys, with 49 rooms and 13 suites on-site, all designed to face scenic sea views.

pool surrounded by a native landscape | render © MIR

capturing the vernacular architecture of the nearby Dhërmi village | render © MIR

subterranean spa | render © MIR

restaurant-bar area faces the square | render © MIR

embracing the land | render © MIR

top view of the Panorama Hilltop Retreat | render © OPA

project info:

name: Panorama Hilltop Retreat

location: Dhërmi, Albania

architect: Oppenheim Architecture | @oppenheimarchitecture

principles in charge: Chad Oppenheim, Beat Huesler
project team: Tom Mckeogh, Alexandre Mecattaf, Rasem Kamal, Gorka Alvarez Palacios,
Maria Diego, Cindy Gysin-Jin, Alexandra Kostahos, Pierre -Alain Auclair

visualizations: MIR | @mir.no, Oppenheim Achitecture 

project year: 2022
site area: 3,600 sqm
net area: 7,000 sqm

The post this hilltop retreat by oppenheim architecture embraces the vernacular of albania’s coast appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.