Herzog & de Meuron to Renovate Tirana's Palace of Congresses with 840-Foot Tower

Herzog & de Meuron has secured the winning bid for the renovation and expansion of the Palace of Congresses in Tirana, Albania, which was originally designed by Klement Kolaneci and finished in 1986. The ambitious project will feature a new 840-foot (255-meter) skyscraper alongside the palace, intended for offices and a hotel. Enhancements will include an additional roof level for outdoor events, a newly landscaped plaza, and a sizable seating stair. The competition jury, led by Cobe co-CEO Mari Randsborg and Prime Minister Edi Rama, included planners like Adelina Greca and MIT dean Hashim Sarkis. Herzog & de Meuron’s Olga Bolshanina unveiled the design on June 2. The existing structure is regarded as "an innovative building for its time" and a significant part of Tirana and Albania's history. This announcement occurs amid ongoing protests regarding Rama's controversial plan to sell Sazan Island to Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, and Qatari billionaires for a luxury resort designed by notable firms including Bjarke Ingels Group and Kengo Kuma & Associates.