Bjarke Ingels Group unveils floating skyscraper design for Tirana

The Danish architecture studio Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has won the international competition to design the Tirana Fountain Plaza in Albania. The proposed development, located within Rinia Park, features a cloud-shaped, mixed-use skyscraper elevated approximately 20 metres above the ground on slender white columns.

The structure is designed to integrate residential, commercial, and cultural spaces, including apartments, offices, and a hotel. By elevating the main volume, the project aims to create over 1,000 square metres of covered public space, allowing pedestrian routes and planted areas to continue uninterrupted beneath the building.

Sustainability and water management are central to the design. The proposal includes a closed-loop system to collect and reuse rainwater for irrigation and flood mitigation. A key feature is an inverted fountain designed to mimic the effect of summer rainfall, which, alongside the preservation of the existing historic fountain, is intended to improve local microclimatic conditions.