Classic Villa Demolished to Make Space for Another High Rise Construction

One of the few remaining villas in the Blloku area is being demolished today. A staple of the area, the building that used to host a bar is being torn down to be replaced, sources told Exit, by yet another high rise building. No information regarding the construction has been made public as of yet.

Picture of the Villa from 2016

Following the plan to tear down an Elbasan street villa that housed the popular hostel, bar, and co-working space Destil, this is the second of the capital’s classic, two-storey villas to be demolished within the past year. The building was among the last ones to be found in the area’s narrow alleys that have now been transformed into construction sites. At least two of them are currently operating.

A mixed-use block, dubbed the Blloku Cube and designed by Stefano Boeri, is being constructed at the intersections of the “Pjetër Bogdani” and “Vaso Pasha” streets, whereas another of Boeri’s projects, West Residence, is being built behind the President’s Office.

Multiple construction sites have also sprung up throughout Tirana, alongside the capital’s principal streets and squares. The municipality has granted construction permits for at least 12 buildings, with an average height of 20 storeys.