Following an international competition, Steven Holl Architects has been selected as the winner of the commission for the Expo Albania convention center and hotel in Tirana, Albania. The winning team, comprised of Steven Holl Architects, artist Agnieszka Kurant, Atelier 4, Atelier Markgraph, Stoss, and Arup, proposes an iterative process, collecting signatures from local Tirana communities and fusing them into a single wandering line, a continuation of artist Agnieszka Kurant’s project “End of Signature”.
The project’s distinctive image is guided by the collaboration with Agnieszka Kurant, as its architecture is modeled after the rhythm expressed by the signature line. This shape also informs the shapes of the CLT roof trusses, taking advantage of the particular material properties of engineered wood.
The development is comprised of two structures, a large-scale convention center, and a hotel, both with supporting amenities. While the exhibition center displays the line on its façade, the hotel offers a more subtle image, expressing similar curvatures in its plan rather than elevation. Between the two, a large reflecting pool of recycled rainwater reflects both structures.
High ecological standards have also been integrated into the design, with geothermal heating and cooling used throughout the development. White solar shingles contribute to energy production while skylights allow natural light to enter the space. During events, these skylights can be closed and blackened to adapt to the various activities planned. Additionally, The earth excavated during construction will be used to create mounds acting as acoustic buffers in the effort to renaturalize the landscape.
Internationally recognized office Steven Holl Architects has also recently revealed their design for a Student Performing Arts Center for the University of Pennsylvania, a new building designed to offer dedicated and flexible spaces for the various performing arts groups on campus. The office has also unveiled its plan for the Gran Sasso area in Abruzzo, Italy, a development created to encourage tourists and mountaineers to explore the Italian mountain range.
