The Albanian capital, Tirana, is planning to build one of the tallest buildings on the Balkan Peninsula

The second-tallest building on the Balkan Peninsula is set to be built in Albania, with the project calling for the construction of an impressive 255-meter skyscraper in the very heart of the capital, BalkanEngineer.com learned from the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA). The new megastructure will be built as part of a large-scale government initiative to renovate and fully modernize the iconic Palace of Congresses—a landmark historical building constructed in the 1980s.

To implement the project, local authorities organized a prestigious architectural competition, in which a number of international firms participated with their conceptual designs. At an official ceremony, an international jury announced the project by the world-renowned Swiss studio Herzog & de Meuron Basel as the winner. Their concept is based on an exceptionally intelligent approach: the historic Palace building itself will undergo only minimal external changes, but the new 255-meter tower will be functionally integrated with it. To preserve the authentic spirit and local identity of the site, the skyscraper’s facade will be constructed from natural Albanian stone. The architects have also planned attractive areas to draw tourists, including a panoramic restaurant at the very top of the building.

If the concept is completed as currently envisioned, the future tower in Tirana will cause a major shake-up in the rankings of the region’s tallest buildings. It will displace Sofia’s “Sky Fort” office skyscraper—which stands 202 m tall—from second place in the Balkans. The top spot on the peninsula currently remains unchallenged by the Turkish megaproject “Skyland Residence Tower” in Istanbul, which rises to an impressive 284 m.

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