THE WHITE HOTEL TIRANA DREAMS
THE WHITE HOTEL TIRANA DREAMS
2024-
Tirana
Albania
The White Hotel stands as a deliberate act of insertion into the urban fabric of Tirana—a thoughtful and refined intervention that enhances rather than dominates its surroundings. This project embodies a harmonious dialogue between openness and privacy, between solidity and lightness, and between the natural and the built environment.
Rather than imposing a monolithic mass upon the cityscape, the design fragments the volume into three, vertical elements that rise like tree trunks, each wrapped in an intricate filigree facade. Inspired by traditional craftsmanship, this lattice-like envelope gives the building a sense of airiness, allowing light and shadow to dance across its surfaces throughout the day. The result is a structure that breathes, its appearance in constant flux as it responds to the Mediterranean sun, shifting from a radiant presence in daylight to a glowing silhouette at night.
The interplay of transparency and opacity reinforces the nature of the hotel as both a public and private space. The filigree facade, beyond its aesthetic qualities, serves as a veil that mediates between interior and exterior, providing both shade and privacy while maintaining a visual connection to the city. This careful balancing act between exposure and retreat reflects a contemporary understanding of architecture as an interface rather than a barrier.
The material palette is deliberately restrained, emphasising purity and simplicity. A semi-glossy, white envelopes the structure, capturing the full spectrum of Mediterranean light. The reflective quality of the surfaces enhances the building’s interaction with its environment, mirroring the shifting shadows of passing clouds, the movement of trees, and the rhythm of the city itself. The effect is ever-changing, ensuring that the building is never static but always engaged in a silent conversation with its surroundings.
In the end, the White Hotel is not just an abstract architectural statement; it is a building in the truest sense—a structure that exists not in isolation but in constant dialogue with its place and its people. It is an embodiment of a city in transition, capturing the rhythms of its streets, the play of its light, and the aspirations of its future.
With love,
DMA, June 2024
