Albania's building boom draws global architects — and growing unease

Albania has become an unlikely magnet for some of the world's most prominent architecture firms, according to The Guardian, with around sixty international studios collectively proposing roughly 500 striking building projects across the country.

The wave of construction has been driven in large part by Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has led Albania since 2013 and has overseen a rapid transformation of the former communist country's skyline. New towers, public spaces and coastal resorts have reshaped Tirana and stretches of the Albanian coastline.

A book chronicling the boom

The scale of the development is now documented in an 800-page book, The Albanian Files, which gathers many of the projects commissioned during Rama's tenure. Supporters have praised the collection as evidence of Albania's rapid modernization, while critics describe the same body of work as proof of overreach, with some calling it a 'smoking gun' pointing to unchecked development.

The Guardian's report notes that the projects have sparked protests among some Albanians, who argue that the building boom has moved too fast or overlooked local concerns in the rush to attract international architectural talent and attention.

Among the professionals drawn into the process, architects describe being part of what one called an 'Albanian Architecture Army,' a loose network of international firms frequently approached with new commissions from the government.

The report does not detail the total cost of the projects or name all of the firms involved beyond describing the scale of international participation.