The museum building nicknamed the "pyramid" was opened in Tirana in 1988, on the occasion of the 80th birthday of the then already deceased Enver Hoxha. Among the architects - the authors of the project were the daughter of the Albanian leader Panvera Hoxha and her husband Clement Kolanechi. The white marble volume in the spirit of late modernism after the fall of the communist regime was renamed the cultural center named after human rights activist Peter Arbnori, in fact performing a variety of functions, including public and entertainment. Around 2010, the idea arose - to build a new parliament building on the site of the former museum, the international competition was won by the Coop Himmelb (l) au bureau (Archi.ru wrote about this project here), but the plan remained on paper.
Meanwhile, the building, despite its central position, was gradually decaying, lost its cladding, and covered with graffiti. Its roof has become an impromptu "playground" for young people. These days, the authorities of Tirana have decided to turn the former museum into an educational center, primarily dedicated to technology and design. The center will be operated by TUMO, and the Dutch MVRDV was entrusted with the architectural project.
The new center with a total area of 11,800 m2 should open in June 2019. Despite the extensive glass sections of the facade-roof, the interior is now dark and the building looks unapproachable. The glass parts will become truly transparent, the previously rebuilt atrium will again turn into a single space - with a winter garden. The concrete sectors will become staircases with temporary pavilions, platforms, etc. located on them, thus, the roof of the former Khoja Museum will become even more accessible to the townspeople.
