The Art of Tirana, Albania

Our visit to Tirana, Albania was brief. We stayed three nights as a stopover between Vlorë and Pogradec. Because there were specific sites we wanted to see in Tirana during this short stay, we reserved a hotel in the Blloku neighborhood. Up until 1990, this neighborhood was fully restricted for residential use by the political leaders and high-ranked members of the communist party. It was isolated from the general public and guarded by military forces.

Today, this area is highly desired and sports some of the most expensive real-estate in Tirana for rentals and purchases.Walking throughout the Blloku neighborhood we were amazed by the impressive art installations throughout this area. Check these things out…

When you look at the architectural design in Tirana, there are some wonderful design ideas. Some designs below include the historical looking government building, the black and red 3-dimensional soccer stadium, The rotating restaurant with the Albanian flag, the glass and cement bubble design, and, of course, the iconic Skanderbeg Square building.

The Tirana Pyramid was originally erected as a mausoleum of the former dictator Enver Hoxha, with his daughter Pranvera and her husband Klement Kolaneci as architects. Today, the pyramid is used for conferences, studio workshops, technology centers such as Tumo, entertainment centers, bars, and restaurants. The city block surrounding the pyramid has many small colorful boxes scattered around, turning into an entertainment space for the community. It is an architectural delight.

Three-dimensional art in Tirana was fun, beautiful, and thought-provoking.

The artful installations of functional traffic signals made us laugh and smile. Look carefully and you will see the Albanian flag on the crosswalk signal. Additionally, the light poles for the traffic signals are covered in LED lamps which light up green for "go" and red for "stop".

Street Art, Electrical Box Art, and other paintings in Tirana.

Architectural Delights

The Tirana Pyramid

Functional Art