the albanian files: two decades of international architecture in a country in transition

edited by anneke abhelakh, the albanian files: freedom and architecture brings together 60 international practices working in albania.

thomai tsimpou August 21, 2026 5 min

60 international practices document Albania’s transformation

Edited by curator, writer, and researcher Anneke Abhelakh, The Albanian Files: Freedom and Architecture brings together 60 international architectural practices working in Albania, documenting a country whose built environment has been reshaped since the collapse of its communist regime. Published by Lars Müller Publishers, the 796-page volume collects projects, proposals, and first-hand reflections from practices that have worked in Albania over the past two decades, creating a record of a transformation that is still underway.

Albania’s architectural transition is the central subject of the book, but the publication is also interested in who gets to narrate that transition. Abhelakh describes the volume as both an archive and a conversation, ‘partial and unfinished, like the story it records.’ Its contributors describe their ambitions, collaborations, negotiations, opportunities, contradictions, and competing interests while working within a rapidly changing national context. The result is less a definitive account of contemporary Albanian architecture than a collection of outside perspectives on a country where architecture has become closely tied to questions of renewal and national identity.

Abhelakh structures the volume as a series of 60 ‘files,’ each dedicated to one architectural practice. Every file combines project data, a short interview, and visual and textual documentation, including first-hand reflections from the architects themselves. Practices such as 51N4E, Aires Mateus, Álvaro Siza, Herzog & de Meuron, Studio Gang, Kengo Kuma & Associates, and Elemental appear alongside their local collaborators, shifting attention from architectural authorship alone toward the relationships, negotiations, and decisions through which projects take shape.

the albanian files: two decades of international architecture in a country in transition - 1 — OMA’s Mangalem 21 (read more here) | image courtesy of Kontakt

The book records an architectural landscape still in transition

The book traces the presence of international architectural practices in Albania, some of which have been working in the country since the early 2000s. Their projects range from social housing and public squares to luxury resorts, cultural institutions, monuments, and urban planning, which together show the different ways architecture has participated in Albania’s transformation, as well as the range of interests involved in shaping its built environment.

Architecture in Albania is closely tied to the broader social and political changes in the country following the end of communist rule. Its position in the Mediterranean has long connected it to different cultural influences, while the post-1990 period opened the country to new forms of political, economic, and architectural exchange.

At the same time, The Albanian Files acknowledges the limits of its own perspective. Abhelakh points to recent protests in Tirana as a reminder that Albanian voices, those shaping, questioning, and living with these changes, are part of a larger story that the book does not attempt to tell. This makes the publication more than a survey of international practices, as it also raises questions about who gets to document and shape a the architectural transformation of a country

The 60 contributions offer a picture of a process that is still unfolding. They show how architects work within changing conditions, but also how projects are shaped by different interests, collaborations, and negotiations.

the albanian files: two decades of international architecture in a country in transition - 2 — Pyramid of Tirana by MVRDV (read more **here**) | image © Ossip van Duivenbode

A 20-year record of architecture in Albania

Designed by Haller Brun, the volume contains approximately 1,500 illustrations alongside contributions from the participating practices. With a foreword by Albanian prime minister Edi Rama and a text by Abhelakh, it occupies an unusual position between architectural survey, professional archive, and contemporary record.

The Albanian Files captures a period of change that is still unfolding. Its 60 contributions offer different views of how international practices have worked in Albania over the past two decades, while leaving open the larger question of how this transformation is experienced by the people living through it.

the albanian files: two decades of international architecture in a country in transition - 3 — The Pyramid of Tirana photographed in 2012, set within the landscaped public space surrounding the landmark

the albanian files: two decades of international architecture in a country in transition - 4 — Vlore Beach Urban Development by Oppenheim Architecture | image by MIR

the albanian files: two decades of international architecture in a country in transition - 5 — view of Skanderbeg-square by 51N4E | image © 51N4E

the albanian files: two decades of international architecture in a country in transition - 6 — The Besa Museeum, by Oppenheim Architecture | image © Oppenheim Architecture

the albanian files: two decades of international architecture in a country in transition - 7 — mapping the city through its green structure and changing urban patterns | book images courtesy of Lars Müller Publishers

the albanian files: two decades of international architecture in a country in transition - 8 — project documentation combines photographs, renderings, drawings, and text

the albanian files: two decades of international architecture in a country in transition - 9 — examining Albania’s urban development

the albanian files: two decades of international architecture in a country in transition - 10 — a map of Tirana locates major architectural projects across the city

the albanian files: two decades of international architecture in a country in transition - 11 — archival postcards, newspapers, and historical images

albanian-files-two-decades-international-architecture-country-transition-anneke-abhelakh-lars-muller-publishers-designboom-large01 — research for Museum of Navigation, Shkodra (under construction, 2025) | image courtesy of Casanova + Hernandez Architects

the albanian files: two decades of international architecture in a country in transition - 12 — a conceptual study for Mount Tirana by CEBRA

the albanian files: two decades of international architecture in a country in transition - 13 — proposals ranging from a new stadium to residential and hospitality developments

the albanian files: two decades of international architecture in a country in transition - 14 — Multifunctional Tower Tirana by Chybik + Kristof

the albanian files: two decades of international architecture in a country in transition - 15 — a project list records architectural work in Albania

the albanian files: two decades of international architecture in a country in transition - 16 — hand-drawn studies explore the development of architectural forms and ideas

the albanian files: two decades of international architecture in a country in transition - 17 — The Albanian Files: Freedom and Architecture

project info:

name: The Albanian Files: Freedom and Architecture

editor: Anneke Abhelakh | @anneke__abhelakh

foreword: Edi Rama

design: Haller Brun | @haller_brun

publisher: Lars Müller Publishers | @larsmullerpublishers

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