Bofill Taller de Arquitectura's proposal will include commercial premises on the ground floor, offices on the intermediate levels and flats on the upper levels. The twisted shape of the tower is achieved through a constant upward twist that tapers as it rises.
The twist itself makes the building more aerodynamic, better able to withstand the wind forces; a central concrete core will be responsible for supporting the structure of the project. The intense red colour will be achieved by pigmenting the concrete.
Barcelona Tower by Bofill Taller de Arquitectura. Rendering by Bofill Taller de Arquitectura.
Project description by Bofill Taller de Arquitectura
Any addition to Tirana’s burgeoning skyline calls for a simple and elegant concept. This is especially true of the architecture being built around Skanderbeg Square, the city’s main plaza and cultural heart, where projects must make a bold contribution to the site without confusing its historical identity.
Barcelona Tower serves as a modern landmark, rising 190 metres into spectacular view with a single "twisting" motion. It is both graceful and pragmatic: the twist makes for a more energy-efficient and aerodynamic building envelope (more resistant to wind loads) and combines with a central concrete core to support the overall structure.
To create this form, the floor plates rotate around the core by a consistent number of degrees as they ascend and taper off towards the sky – a kind of obelisk – accommodating first offices and then a majority of apartments. They are set into a chunky "plinth" containing commercial space at ground level, which works together with the rich red of the concrete pigment to demarcate this architectural world from the one beyond it.
The Taller began this project by looking through the Albanian Photographic and Graphic Art Collection as well as at its own archive. Twisting and tapering, the formal quality of the traditional fustanella skirt seemed to resemble the stone pillars of La Pirámide and Casa Mont-ras, both built during the 1970s, and felt fitting for a new monument in Tirana.
