The Pyramid of Tirana has been honored with a 2025 Architectural Record Award in the Adaptive Reuse category, celebrating its remarkable transformation from a symbol of dictatorship into a beacon of creativity and learning.
Originally constructed in 1988 as a museum dedicated to the communist dictator Enver Hoxha, the Pyramid has undergone a dramatic metamorphosis into a vibrant cultural hub. The project, realized between 2018 and 2023 by the Albanian-American Development Foundation (AADF) and the Municipality of Tirana, reuses the original concrete structure to create an open, inviting public space. Surrounding the Pyramid is a new park filled with colorful boxes that house cafés, studios, workshops, start-up offices, incubators, and classrooms where young Albanians can learn technology and digital skills for free.
MVRDV’s design pays homage to the building’s unique history and the people’s resilience. For many Albanians, the Pyramid has long symbolized victory over the regime. In the years following the fall of communism, it became a popular hangout for youth who would climb and slide down its sloping surfaces, a spontaneous act of reclaiming the structure.
This spirit of freedom inspired the redesign: steps now rise along the façades, allowing visitors to literally walk over what once stood as a monument to oppression. An accessible lift ensures everyone can reach the top, while one beam retains its slope for a playful slide down. 
With a total surface area of 11,835 m², the new Pyramid stands as a living example of how architecture can heal, reinterpret, and empower. Once a relic of the past, it now thrives as a symbol of Albania’s creative future, where culture, technology, and community converge under one revitalized roof.
Source: MVRDV with additional information added by Glass Balkan
