MET Tirana Building

The architectural configuration transforms the constraints of urban regulations into an opportunity to experiment with “excavated” volumes. Thus the elliptical shape of the building becomes a play of spiraling terraces. The articulation of the volumes, the composition of the facade based on an alternation of opaque and transparent modules, and the floor-to-ceiling glazing at the ground level give the building a sense of elegance and lightness. The image that inspired the architecture is that of Berat, the “white city with 1000 windows.”

The architectural configuration transforms the constraints of urban regulations into an opportunity to experiment with “excavated” volumes. Thus the elliptical shape of the building becomes a play of spiraling terraces. The articulation of the volumes, the composition of the facade based on an alternation of opaque and transparent modules, and the floor-to-ceiling glazing at the ground level give the building a sense of elegance and lightness. The image that inspired the architecture is that of Berat, the “white city with 1000 windows.”

The building is “lightened” as it goes up through a progressive subtraction of volume so that most of the elliptical plan has been removed on the top floor. This configuration made it possible to create large terraces on the upper residential floors, embellished with planters big enough for trees and large shrubs. The fully-glazed walls of the apartments facing the terraces permit both generous amounts of natural light and ample views of the surrounding environment.

The vegetation that “inhabits” the building, consisting of climatically adaptive species, transforms the building into a sort of gigantic tree that changes its appearance according to the seasons.The playful sculpting of the building’s volumes, its surfaces’ rhythmic texture, and its tree-planted terraces’ environmental qualities all combine to create an elegant work of urban revitalization that fits perfectly into the context of Tirana’s Bulevardi.

The architectural shapes result in the residential terraces becoming wider and more spacious on the upper floors. For these spaces, the landscaping project’s goal was to create various outdoor living environments based on three compositional devices: planters of different heights, greenbelt, rooms immersed in the green.

The architectural shapes result in the residential terraces becoming wider and more spacious on the upper floors. For these spaces, the landscaping project’s goal was to create various outdoor living environments based on three compositional devices: planters of different heights, greenbelt, rooms immersed in the green.