Located in the heart of Albania’s capital, the Tirana Pyramid has recently reopened as a vibrant cultural center. Originally constructed as a museum commemorating the communist dictator Enver Hoxha, the structure underwent a major renovation led by MVRDV. The building has been rebuilt with a concrete frame and transformed into an open-air sculpture within a newly designed park. Scattered colorful boxes and sculptures fill the park and surround the original buildings.
Today, the Pyramid hosts cafes, studios, workshops, startup offices, incubators, festive events, and classrooms where Albanian youth can access free technical education. The structure’s sloping exterior walls have been enhanced with steps, inviting visitors of all ages to walk and explore this iconic monument.
Though still under construction not long ago, the Tirana Pyramid was widely used during last summer. Locals enjoyed the city’s scenic views, while tourists discovered this hidden architectural gem. With the EU summit taking place and the official launch of TUMO as a free educational institution for Albanian youth on October 16th, the Pyramid now fully serves the public.
The Tirana Pyramid originally opened as a museum in 1988 and has since undergone many transformations. Its evolving purposes and unfinished renovation efforts led to a chaotic and uninspiring interior. For decades, the fate of the building sparked debate among residents. A 2015 study revealed that the majority of Albanians opposed demolishing the structure. In 2017, the government declared plans for renovation, a promise fulfilled through collaboration with the Albanian American Development Foundation (AADF) and the Tirana municipal government. Their vision was to repurpose the Pyramid into a vibrant hub fostering opportunities for Albanian youth.
For many Albanians, the Pyramid symbolizes triumph over a repressive regime. MVRDV’s renovation design draws inspiration from this sentiment. After the dictator’s death, the building became a popular spot for young people in Tirana to gather, climb its sloping beams, and slide down—despite the risks. Today, visitors of all ages can climb the sloped sides to reach the rooftop. An elevator on the west side ensures accessibility for those unable to use the stairs, while a sloped beam remains for sliding down.
The MVRDV design team worked around the original structure, using it as a foundation to add public spaces and colorful educational boxes. These vibrant modules are scattered throughout the building’s interior, exterior, and park areas, creating rooms for learning and activities. Additional colorful structures on the rooftop and park front foster a lively, almost “informal occupation” atmosphere.
The nonprofit educational institution TUMO occupies about half of the colorful boxes inside the Pyramid, offering free after-school programs for teenagers aged 12 to 18. Students learn cutting-edge technologies such as software development, robotics, animation, music, and filmmaking. Founded in Armenia in 2011, TUMO has expanded across Europe, providing vital education to combat the “brain drain” threatening Albania’s economy. The other half of the colorful modules is open to the public, featuring rental spaces for cafes, restaurants, startup offices, laboratories, incubators, and studios.
This renovation exemplifies how a historic brutalist building can be adapted to meet modern needs while preserving its complex legacy. The project aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by embracing circular economy principles—reusing the Pyramid’s sturdy concrete shell instead of demolishing it wastefully. Most of the building remains open to the surrounding environment year-round, with climate control limited to newly enclosed educational spaces, minimizing energy consumption.
The renewed architecture fosters sustainable societal development, and the educational initiatives prepare the next generation for success.
Project Drawings
△ Current Site Map
△ Structural Cleaning
△ Addition of Exterior Stairs
△ Component Installation
△ Horizontal Connections
△ Microclimate Control
△ Public Pyramid Space
△ Analysis Diagrams
△ Analysis Diagrams
△ Main Connection
△ Secondary Connection
Project Information
Architect: MVRDV
Area: 11,835 m²
Project Year: 2023
Photographer: Ossip van Duivenpole
Partners: Winy Maas, Stefan de Koning
Design Team: Ronald Hoogeveen, Stavros Gargaretas, Guido Boeters, Angel Sanchez Navarro, Boris Tikvarski, Jasper van der Ven, Mirco Facchinelli, Manuel Magnaguagno, Leo Stuckardt
Visualization: Antonio Luca Coco, Luca Piattelli, Jaroslaw Jeda, Luana La Martina, Gianlorenzo Petrini
Strategy Development: Willeke Vester, Daan van Gool
Copyright Holders: MVRDV – Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries
Collaborative Architect: iRI Architecture
Project Partner: Albanian American Development Foundation (AADF)
Education Partner: TUMO Tirana
Heritage Expert: Daniel Gjoni
Environmental Consultant: Arben Liçi
Main Contractor: Fusha shpk
Structural Engineer: Oyana
Landscape Architect: iRI
Location: Tirana, Albania
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up