House of Leaves: New Museum in Tirana Transforms Former Sigurimi Headquarters

A new museum, House of Leaves, has opened in Tirana, Albania, in a building that once housed the maternity ward, a bourgeois home, and later the headquarters of the Sigurimi, the Albanian secret police. The name 'House of Leaves' was a code name for the secret police, now repurposed as a symbol of openness. The museum features pre-radar installations in the garden facing the city, signaling a shift from surveillance to transparency. The project was conceived by architect Elisabetta Terragni of DRAW Design Research Architecture Writing, with communication design by Daniele Ledda of xycomm. The exhibition includes archival documents, listening devices, and period objects, with walls serving as a metaphor for communication. Prime Minister Edi Rama and Minister of Culture Mirela Kumbaro spoke at the opening, emphasizing the importance of remembering the past to prevent its repetition. The museum aims to turn memory into regeneration and community building.