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At the international architecture festival "Bread and Heart", Dutch architect Vini Mass, a close friend of Prime Minister Edi Rama and author of several projects in Tirana, presented to the public a series of new urban ideas that he summarizes under the name "Albania 2.1".
In front of a hall full of architects from Japan, the USA, Europe and South Korea, among whom was Prime Minister Rama, Mass exhibited several project ideas that include:
A new tower behind the building with Skanderbeg's head
One of the provocative projects was a new tower planned behind the building modeled after the bust of Skanderbeg, on the plot next to or above the palace where Ismail Kadare and Dritëro Agolli once lived. This intervention emerged as part of a vision to “complete the city’s collection” and “add new urban adventures.”
"This means we have to find places within this collection. The next step is to imagine, to add this adventure... so this can gradually turn into something in this corner," said Vini Mass, at the "Bread and Heart" festival.
Only in that "corner" as the foreign architect calls it, there is the palace in the house where Dritëro Agolli and Ismail Kadare lived, which carries an important symbolic weight for the area. However, the palace in question is already surrounded by giant towers and it is not clear whether the new tower designed by Vini Mass foresees its collapse. The photo was only shown for a fraction of a second in the presentation.
Two metro lines for Tirana: North-South and East-West
In the same vision "Albania 2.1", Mass publicly called for the construction of two metro lines for Tirana, one in the north-south direction and another east-west, considering this a necessity for the city that is expanding uncontrollably.
"We should ask our developers to pay," Mass said, while interspersing the meetings of European leaders with the development of Tirana on the screen, "Yes, two metro lines please. In version 2.1. North-south, east-west," he said while quickly glancing at Edi Rama.
Hotel above the Gjipa canyon – on the lands of Edi Rama's grandparents
Further, Mass revealed another project: a hotel built over the Gjipa canyon, in an ecologically sensitive location, which he himself admitted he was initially hesitant about.
“When they asked me to build a hotel there — in that place — I thought, ‘You can’t do this.’ We had to raise it above the canyon, to let it free down below.” – Vini Mass.
Gjipe is a protected area and one of the natural pearls of the Albanian coast, but the opposition has accused Prime Minister Rama of transferring the property to his family members through the corruption of his subordinates. Edi Rama himself has not denied the inheritance, but has said that he left his share in Gjipe, a coastal land area that extends to 224 thousand square meters of land, to his brother.
“Albanian Tuscany”
Another idea from Mass involved installing a sophisticated irrigation system to transform the agro-cultural terrain into an Italian-style agricultural landscape.
"You have a treasure here — water. Plant rows of shrubs between the plots. Instead of you going to Tuscany, let Tuscany come here!" said Vini Mass.
At the end of his presentation, Mass proposed that future construction in Albania include storing water in basements, harnessing solar energy, and creating architecture that stems from agriculture — as a combination of contemporary design and local self-sustainability.
“I imagine, Eddie, that your water system here is so careful, that future buildings could help it. The basements could store the water… and the city could be built on top of that.” – Vini Mass.
Vini Mass is one of the most renowned Dutch architects on the international urban design scene, co-founder of the renowned MVRDV studio, an architectural office based in Rotterdam. He is known for his conceptual projects, futuristic vision and closeness to political leaders, including Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, with whom he has an early collaborative relationship dating back to the early 2000s.
Vini Mass was the author of the first plan for the urban redevelopment of Skanderbeg Square, financed by the Government of Kuwait. The project was not implemented due to political opposition and changes in power.
In 2014, he returned to Tirana and became involved in new projects. In 2018, the Albanian-American Development Fund (AADF) contracted MVRDV to restore the Pyramid of Tirana – the building that once served as the mausoleum for dictator Enver Hoxha. The project aimed to open the structure to the public and turn it into an innovation center for young people.
In an article by INA Media, confidential sources from within AADF admitted that the list of international studios for the Pyramid was proposed to them by Prime Minister Edi Rama himself and included MVRDV.
Mass is the architect of DownTown One, one of the tallest buildings ever built in Albania, in collaboration with Kastrati Construction. The initial project envisaged 37 floors for residential and office use, but floors were later added for a hotel.
Another project of his firm is the Skanderbeg Tower, near the Tirana Hotel, conceived with elements that bring the silhouette of the national hero, but it seems that Mass has seen another opportunity in the square behind this tower and wants to install another concrete facade from behind./ Lapsi.al
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