The design of the National Theatre of Albania

Design: Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)
Text: Eszter Götz

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has redesigned a replacement for the National Theatre of Albania that will include three indoor performance spaces, a rooftop amphitheatre and a public space underneath the building. The 9,300 sq m venue is located in Skanderbeg square, adjacent to the National Opera and the National Art Gallery in downtown Tirana, Albania’s capital. The centre of the bow-tie shaped structure is raised up from the ground, with two buildings either side connected through a central auditorium. The gap underneath the prism-shaped central building creates a public walkway. The roof of the building will contain a second venue and a café, giving visitors a view of Tirana.