Towers are being added to the former Block, a 14-storey building awaiting permission

A 14-storey building is expected to be erected at the intersection of "Vaso Pasha" and "Ismail Qemali" streets in the former Block, following the urban alienation of the spaces of this area.

Designed by Italian architect Stefano Boeri, the tower is expected to take the place of the three-story building where the National Commercial Bank currently has a subsidiary. It has been conceived as a residential and service building where the first two floors will have a glass facade for businesses.

The tower provides 5 floors of underground parking and the last two floors "attic-duplex" apartment. The project received a development permit in October 2023 and is expected to pass for a construction permit.

The customer and developer is the company "Domus Group" of Adrian Hajros, who is an architect by profession.

"Domus Group" is developing on the other side of the same intersection the "twin" of "Cube of Blloku" - the 10-story building also designed by Boeri, - called "Domus Cube".

The first version of the "Cube of Blloku" was developed in the period 2017-2023 by the "Invest Society" of entrepreneurs Dajlan Avdia, Glendi Abdi and Edison Hatellari, who called it the "Block European Multifunctional Building". The initial concept that received the development permit envisioned 8 stories in height.

"Cube of Block" is currently called "Rainbow Center". This building was erected on the well-known bar "Bar Rovena", whose land was controversially bought in 2015 by the former entrepreneur MPs Tom Doshi and Ndriçim Babasi.

At that time, the artist Rovena Dilo raised claims that the former legislators took advantage of the property "with interference" and "falsified documents".

"Ismail Qemali" street in the former Block, is known for the villas and historical buildings such as the villas "No. 11" and "No. 31" where the dictator Enver Hoxha settled after the Second World War.

Similar to the architectural and historical values ​​are the so-called "Palaces of Genius", a block with at least four three-four-story buildings built in the early 40s.

The history of the area where it is being built

The area - known today as the former block - was developed mainly in the period 1925-1943 under the influence of Italian architecture.

Over 30 villas and two-three-story residential blocks were built during this time according to the urban planning concept of parceling with courtyards and flower gardens, giving the city a new area with a modern style.

Initially, families of Italian officers settled there, then clerks, officials and entrepreneurs from the time of the monarchy.

During the dictatorship, the villas were confiscated and the area was conceived as a block where the political leadership was located.

Several 5-story buildings were added to it, while after the 90s – and especially in the last decade – ill-planned development alienated the villas and green spaces into multi-story building complexes.

/Erblin Vukaj/ Citizens