Albania is a young democracy, experiencing growth spurts much like a
teenager in search of its identity. Home to three million people, the
country sits at the heart of the Mediterranean, with the Adriatic and Ionian
seas linking Southern Europe and the Balkans. Positioned across from Italy
and framed by the Albanian Alps to the north, its geography has long shaped
cultural exchanges and the built environment.

Following the collapse of the dictatorial regime in 1992, a rupture with the
past emerged as people rebelled against public spaces and regime-era
buildings. Edi Rama, Tirana’s mayor from 2000 to 2011 and now Prime
Minister, described this re-appropriation as a reclaiming of individualism:
“It was a space to be regained by people deprived of private property and
self-expression. The first ten years were about reclaiming private space and
abandoning public space. Returning to individualism was very traumatic.”
Three decades later, Albania remains in transition—culturally, socially, and
architecturally. This ongoing renewal has placed architecture at the center
of national discourse.

Titled Building Architecture Culture, the Albanian pavilion at the Venice
Biennale highlights the reciprocal relationship between architecture and
society. The discipline extends beyond practice to academia and the broader
public sphere, where spatial ideas are shared, debated, and reflected upon.
This third sphere ideally serves as the conscience of the profession. The
Albanian pavilion and its public program act as a temporary version of this
space, on display and discussing Albania’s evolving architectural identity.
These conversations will continue beyond the exhibition through a podcast,
created in collaboration with Koozarch, ensuring that those unable to attend
in Venice can also engage with these dialogues.

A new book on Albanian architecture will be released in October 2025,
marking the conclusion of a public program. The Albanian Files, edited by
Anneke Abhelakh and published by Lars Müller Publishers with graphic design
by Linda van Deursen, presents an extensive collection of architectural
works produced in Albania from the early 2000’s onward. Offering an
unprecedented overview of both completed and forthcoming projects, the book explores how architecture has become a defining force in the nation’s
reimagining of its identity.