The strength and grace of a ballet dancer, the visual play of Klimt’s artistry, and the precision weaving of Albanian carpets, are all set to come together in a brand new 50-storey building in Tirana, Albania. The city is due to break ground before the end of 2024 on a new skyscraper project that will create an optical illusion against the backdrop of the Dajti Mountains and will be part of a cityscape to make the southern European capital an architectural destination.
A ballet dancer’s plié
The unusual design by Portuguese firm OODA will feature two parametric volumes side-by-side, where one building appears to “bend a knee” in a ballet dancer’s plié, coming away from its neighbour to create a negative space between the structures before before leaning against the other again, in a Klimt-like embrace. In the space between the two buildings, the Dajti Mountains will be visible.
“The thing that strikes you the most when you land in Tirana is the presence of those mountains, and to have (them visible) through that gap is something that was also interesting for us to picture,” OODA partner, Diogo Brito, told CNN Style.
Hidden strength
What’s more, the dynamic form of the concept “avoids the creation of a massive urban volume, giving the building an elegant and iconic presence,” the firm points out. But the softened silhouette of the tower will however not simply be for show. It will belie a hidden strength – earthquake resistance, thanks to the cuboid but non-parallel form, the architects say.
The structure also intends to reflect the idea of balance in its use: one block will offer residential space, while the other will welcome hotel guests. There will also be a mix of office space and retail blending in among the floors, as well as public space below, roof gardens and a pool.
Carbon-absorbing
Its exterior will be just as chameleon-like, OODA claims, changing in appearance depending on the angle of approach – using the building’s location on the corner of a major avenue to full advantage. Using carbon-absorbing stone cladding for sustainability, the building’s facade will feature an intricate lattice-work of balconies and handrails creating a warp and weft pattern to mimic traditional Albanian carpetwork.
Called the Bond Tower, whether it will garner a nickname for itself, like London’s Gherkin or Cheesegrater buildings remains to be seen. But it won’t stand alone. With Dutch firm MVRDV’s new Tirana pyramid hailed as one of the world’s best new architectural projects by Architectural Digest, several other firms working on major projects, and OODA also in the midst of a “film reel” building to accommodate TV headquarters in the city, the Tower with Bent Knees looks set to inscribe itself into a wider array of extraordinary architecture in Tirana.
