Danish architecture studio BIG has unveiled plans for a cloud-shaped skyscraper in Tirana, Albania's capital, that will feature apartments, offices, a hotel and cultural spaces above a public park. The proposed development, named Tirana Fountain Plaza, is designed to resemble a floating cloud, drawing comparisons to Star Wars' Cloud City.
Design and Features
The building will be raised on slender white columns and wrapped in layers of perforated white discs, giving it the appearance of a floating cloud. It is planned for the edge of Rinia Park on Rruga Sami Frashëri, with the elevated structure leaving much of the space beneath open to the public.
Two curved structures wrapped in fluted glass will connect the elevated sections to the ground at either end of the development. According to BIG, the design seeks to rethink the relationship between buildings and public space by using the area above the park rather than occupying more ground. The elevated structure would also provide shade for people using the space below.
Water and Landscape
Water is a key feature of the design, with plans to preserve the existing Taiwan Pool and introduce a closed-loop system to capture, store and reuse rainwater. BIG said the landscape design would include planted gardens and water-management features intended to improve irrigation, reduce flood risk and cool the surrounding park.
An inverted fountain will form a centrepiece, with water falling from above rather than rising from the ground. The development will include cultural facilities alongside residential and commercial accommodation, with design images showing interiors intended for uses including a library.
Context in Tirana
Tirana Fountain Plaza is planned near the Pyramid of Tirana, a former museum transformed into a cultural hub by Dutch architecture studio MVRDV. BIG is also working on the National Theatre of Albania in Tirana, a bow-tie-shaped building that has attracted controversy due to the demolition of the original 1930s theatre. In 2020, activists were arrested during protests against the demolition.
The studio has also unveiled plans for Faith Park, a proposed group of interfaith buildings arranged across a hillside near the Albanian capital. Tirana Fountain Plaza represents another major architectural proposal in a city undergoing significant redevelopment, with architects from around the world taking on projects that look set to transform the city within a decade.
