The second edition of the Bread & Heart Festival opened in Tirana from June 3–5, bringing together some of the world’s most influential architects, urbanists, landscape designers, and cultural thinkers to examine Albania’s rapidly evolving built environment through the theme “Landscapes of Abundance.”

Organized by the Bread & Heart Foundation and co-curated with the NEWROPE Chair of Architecture and Urban Transformation at ETH Zürich, the festival takes place at 51N4E’s Book Building overlooking Skanderbeg Square, one of Albania’s most significant contemporary public space interventions. The event arrives at a moment when the country has become an increasingly important destination for international architectural practice, with nearly 200 foreign architecture offices currently engaged in projects across Albania.

Rather than focusing on individual buildings, this year’s edition expands the discussion to territorial and ecological scales. Framed by the curatorial concept “From Portrait to Landscape,” the festival examines how architecture can respond to Albania’s unique combination of dramatic coastlines, mountain landscapes, river valleys, wetlands, agricultural territories, and rapidly urbanizing cities.

The programme reflects the unprecedented level of international engagement currently shaping Albania’s architectural future. Participants include Francis Kéré, Jeanne Gang, Ma Yansong, Bjarke Ingels, Stefano Boeri, Pierre de Meuron, Reinier de Graaf, Sumayya Vally, Petra Blaisse, Caroline Bos, Manuel Aires Mateus, and Minsuk Cho, alongside local architects, planners, academics, and public officials. Prime Minister Edi Rama, whose administration has actively promoted international design competitions and architectural commissions, also participates in the discussions.

Many of the invited architects are already contributing to projects across Albania. Their work ranges from high-rise developments in Tirana and waterfront interventions along the Adriatic and Ionian coasts to hospitality projects, cultural institutions, and large-scale masterplans. The festival therefore serves not only as a forum for debate but also as a meeting point for professionals actively involved in shaping the country’s future built environment.

A key component of the festival is an exhibition of architectural models showcasing both built and unbuilt projects from across Albania. Together, these projects illustrate the scale of transformation currently underway, from urban regeneration initiatives and tourism developments to public buildings and landscape-driven interventions. Architect-designed pavilions installed throughout the festival grounds provide additional spaces for informal dialogue and project presentations.

Central to this year’s discussions is the challenge of balancing development pressures with environmental responsibility. Questions surrounding coastal urbanization, tourism growth, wetland protection, water systems, agricultural landscapes, and the preservation of local identity form the backbone of the programme. Through workshops, talks, exhibitions, and collaborative sessions, participants are invited to consider how Albania’s natural abundance can become a framework for regenerative design rather than unchecked expansion.

As Albania continues to attract global architectural attention, Bread & Heart Festival 2026 positions the country not simply as a site of development, but as a testing ground for new models of architecture, landscape stewardship, and territorial planning in the 21st century.