By Ilda Hoxha
A 33-story tower with 4 levels of underground parking will be constructed beside the new National Theatre, despite multiple promises from the Prime Minister that no towers would be built in the vicinity. Although the tower is planned to be outside the Theatre’s perimeter, artists and activists from the Alliance for the Protection of the Theatre are worried that it could still impact the Theatre’s territory.
Ilda Hoxha
Following the demolition of the National Theatre in May 2020, Prime Minister Edi Rama responded to concerns from artists and activists by dismissing allegations that the Theatre was being ‘sacrificed’ for the construction of towers.
‘There will be no towers there, absolutely none. No towers will be built there. How can I explain this… There will be no towers there, whether inside, outside, behind, or anywhere within the entire area where they have imagined dragging the victim, there will be no towers,’ stated Prime Minister Edi Rama in May 2020.
Nevertheless, a tower will be built.
In May 2023, just before the local elections, the Tirana Municipal Council approved a decision allowing ‘Fusha’ company to develop a high-rise tower on public land in the heart of the city. In return, the Municipality will receive 50 percent of the building’s floor area.
According to the Tirana Municipal Council’s decision, a tower will be constructed in the public parking area located between ‘Torre Drin’ and the ‘Infosoft’ building, close to Tirana’s pedestrian zone.
A decision by the High Council of Territory, dated December 26, 2023, and signed on June 10, 2024, outlines the construction of this multifunctional building. The tower will have 33 floors above ground and 4 levels of underground parking, with a property area of 2,480.77 m². This decision was signed by the Chairman of the KKT, Mr. Edi Rama. Documents indicate that the building will be situated outside the National Theatre’s territory.
‘The proposed site is designated for residential, commercial, and social purposes, featuring multifunctional and residential buildings with services. It is located near the city center, next to the pedestrian area ‘Murat Toptani.’ The property covers 2,480.77 m². The plot is bordered by: to the south—the pedestrian area ‘Murat Toptani’; to the north—the Toptani Sarajet; to the east—service buildings; and to the west—the Tirana Theatre,’ the document states.
Activists from the Alliance for the Protection of the Theatre have raised doubts about whether the planned tower will be situated within the Theatre’s territory. In an interview with Faktoje, Neritan Liçaj, an actor and activist with the Alliance, voiced that their concerns about the tower’s construction have been validated.
‘The tower is expected to be outside the Theatre’s territory, but you still can’t trust these assurances completely. If the tower is indeed not on the Theatre’s territory, it would confirm our earlier concerns. The decision has changed—what was initially planned as 6 towers behind the Theatre has now been reduced to one. This change is clearly due to the pressure from the Alliance for the Theatre and the possibility of legal actions and complaints we’ve filed with SPAK,’ said Liçaj.
He emphasized that if the 33-story building is not constructed on the Theatre’s land, it would be a partial success for the Alliance and the citizens.
‘You can’t simply give public land to a private developer at will,’ he added.
Liçaj also expressed worry that the National Theatre’s territory might still be impacted.
‘I’m concerned that they might encroach on the Theatre’s territory again, as they often declare one thing and do another. We’ll have to see how it unfolds,‘ Liçaj concluded.
Field Verification
On August 20, Faktoje conducted a site visit and observed that construction work is continuing at the location of the new National Theatre. The area is enclosed and marked with signs stating ‘construction site.’ However, there was no information board providing details about the planned 33-story tower.
The Site of the National Theatre, August 20, 2024
In a report published in May of this year, Faktoje indicated that the new National Theatre is expected to be completed by 2026 at the earliest. Theatre actors blame state institutions and the lack of public response for the situation, noting that instead of a National Theatre, the site remains filled with construction debris.
Conclusion
Although the Prime Minister assured in 2020 that no towers would be built following the demolition of the old National Theatre, a 33-story tower was later approved with his signature. Since this tower does not appear in documents as being within the National Theatre’s territory, we consider the Prime Minister’s statement to be only partially accurate.
