This 25-storey tower comprises flexibly planned hotel, office, and conference facilities above a commercial base. It is designed as a monolith rather than a modern glass structure, to complement Tirana’s major monuments. The plan elegantly shifts from an ellipse at the base to a rectangle at the top. A range of high-quality but low-tech solutions resulted from the client and (German) architects’ endeavours to find or create local construction capabilities. During the process the tower became increasingly basic, with the exception of the ground floor that is designed as a constellation of three buildings: the tower descending to the ground; a five-storey glass structure with cantilevering roof that creates an open-air galleria; and a small concrete building with hollowed-out, golden-lined quarter dome that embraces the tomb of Suleiman Pasha. The tower’s facade consists of natural stone panels with changing orientations, providing necessary sun shading and a joyful play of shadows. 

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture