Albania's Starchitect Boom Exposed in 800-Page 'The Albanian Files' as Protests Rage

Key facts

• The Albanian Files is an 800-page, 2.2kg book edited by Anneke Abhelakh and published by Lars Müller Publishers, featuring 60 international architecture firms and over 500 projects in Albania.
• Prime Minister Edi Rama, in power since 2013, wrote the foreword calling the book a 'precious behind-the-scenes record' of Albania's transformation.
• Protests in June 2026 outside a Tirana venue included placards reading 'Starchitects go home!' and 'Where is the public?' during the Landscapes of Abundance festival, where tickets cost up to €200.
• The 'flamingo revolution' protests against a Trump-backed resort at Zvërnec and Sazan have lasted over 120 days, demanding Rama's resignation.
• A 2024 law allows five-star resorts in protected areas, enabling projects like Anupama Kundoo's 50,000-person settlement in Divjakë-Karavasta national park.
• The Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime estimated €1.6bn in illicit funds were laundered through Albanian real estate in the three years prior to its 2020 report.
• In June 2026, SPAK seized €150m in assets linked to an alleged cocaine trafficking network, and Pëllumb Gjoka was jailed for ordering mob hits.
• The European Parliament in June 2026 called for an immediate moratorium on construction in protected areas, citing conflicts with EU standards.