Rojkind Arquitectos, in collaboration with artist Pedro Reyes, SON Architects, Motus Holdings, and ASAB, has been selected as the winner of the mixed-use component in the International Concept Design and Build Competition for the redevelopment of the Zyber Hallulli site in Tirana, Albania. Organized by the Albanian Investment Corporation in partnership with the National Agency for Territorial Planning, the competition was launched in September 2025, with the jury announcing its decision on January 29, 2026. The proposal led by the Mexico-based office was awarded the mixed-use development, while a separate Mexican practice, Taller Héctor Barroso, was selected to design CASA FAMILIA, a new children's campus to be built on a greener, more child-oriented site.
The winning proposal envisions three towers rising 20, 25, and 35 floors, connected by elevated bridges and anchored by a civic podium at ground level. Rather than presenting isolated vertical elements, the towers are conceived as an ensemble, with varied heights and programs intended to support activity throughout the day. The development accommodates a commercial passage at the base, offices, a hotel, residential units, and shared amenities. The podium is organized as a sequence of interconnected public spaces designed to reinforce pedestrian continuity and strengthen links to surrounding urban flows, including the nearby stadium. The project positions the ground plane as an active civic layer, structured through shaded thresholds, circulation routes, and gathering spaces.
A defining feature of the proposal is its facade system, developed in collaboration with Pedro Reyes. Conceived not as an applied artwork but as an integrated architectural element, the facade comprises a series of vertical precast concrete components in tones derived from Albanian earth. Described by the design team as an "Urban Choir," the system translates recorded voices into variations of geometry, depth, and shadow, generating a rhythmic exterior expression across the three towers. Each vertical element maintains a distinct profile while contributing to a coherent overall composition. Through this generative approach, the facade establishes a continuous visual language from street level to skyline, framing the towers as interrelated parts of a single architectural composition.
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Embedded within the development is the Tirana Art Lending Library (TALL), which will remain on the original Zyber Hallulli site as a permanent cultural space. While the children's campus relocates under the CASA FAMILIA project, TALL is intended to provide continuity through workshops, mentorship programs, exhibitions, and shared activities with artists and the community. The mixed-use project forms part of a broader redevelopment framework that combines housing, commercial functions, and public cultural infrastructure.
Albania is currently undergoing a broad urban transformation, particularly in Tirana, where a series of large-scale projects are reshaping the capital's architectural landscape. Recent announcements include OMA, led by David Gianotten, winning the competition to revitalize the historic Selman Stërmasi Stadium and its surrounding area, expanding the 1956 structure while strengthening connections between adjacent neighborhoods. This follows earlier strategic initiatives such as the Tirana 2030 Masterplan by Stefano Boeri Architetti, UNLAB, and IND, which proposed a metropolitan vision structured around open spaces and green corridors. Additional contributions include mixed-use towers by Bofill Taller de Arquitectura, OODA's Ndarja building on Myslym Street, and the new Public Administration Cluster designed by Coldefy in partnership with Atelier 4, Sempervirens, and AEI Progetti, reflecting the city's ongoing program of civic and urban redevelopment.
