TID Tower

The tower is part of the ambitious new master plan for the city, which converges around ten towers. We propose a volume starting as an ellipse and ending as a rectangle. The subtle transition between these two basic shapes makes a grand tower which fully captures the Mediterranean light. Seen from Tirana’s central square, the shape of the tower gracefully complements the urban ensemble consisting of the mosque, the clock tower and the cultural palace.

As important as its silhouette, is the base of the tower. This base is organized around a central open-air gallery, covered by a cantilevering roof. The public space – a crucial asset of any Mediterranean city- merges with the space of the building.

On one corner of the base, a quarter of a dome is cut out in order to preserve the existing Suleman Pasha Tomb. This quarter dome creates an almost ethereal aura for the tomb. The unusual combination of the two structures results in an exciting urban moment.

ALUMIL had to develop a custom made system for this building, a system which should be able to be installed from the inside due to the building's design and at the same time accommodate very large vents, both fixed and parallel projecting ones. The system developed is a structural glazed window wall like system, with a bottom track installed on the floor for alignment. It is also installed in an angular manner, which is different from floor to floor. The specific position of the building in the cityscape demands for a facade that works on two scales: on an urban scale and on a private scale. The façade is developed as one system, emphasizing the tower as a whole, while allowing for diversity and variation when zooming in.

It becomes a mediator between the public and private. The facade generates diverse conditions in response to the inside and outside environment. The apartments are organized around a functional core. Due to the play of the paneling of the façade, each room gets filtered views and (most importantly) shadow. Depending on where one stands/sits/lies in the apartment the views are focused on the city scape (downwards view) or the sky (upwards view). The tower is part of the ambitious new master plan for the city, which converges around ten iconographic towers. The main program of the TID Tower consists of a housing program. Offices, shopping and restaurant facilities are located in the base, whereas a panorama restaurant is located at the top of the building.