Land and permission for a 20-story tower in "exchange" for the reconstruction of the Palace of Congresses. This is the model that the government has chosen to finance the intervention in a building that holds the status of Cultural Monument, category II.
The case reinforces the long series of similar projects where public interest fades in the background of intensive developments, which favor the commercial interests of private builders in Tirana.
Corporate Call
The Albanian Investment Corporation (KISH) opened on November 27 the call for "duo, design and investment offer" for the "Revitalization of the Congress Palace" project, which will receive proposals until January 26, 2026. The call foresees the reconceptualization of interior and exterior spaces and the construction of a tower with combined functions: hotel, services, shopping center, housing.
The private party benefits from 4,760 m² of public land around the Palace and the right to build up to 50,000 m² of construction area on the land. With a typical utilization coefficient of 30-50%, this translates into a building of up to 20 floors, which according to the plan of the area is likely to be built in the garden behind the building, near the roundabout of “Papa Gjon Pali II” street. The ownership of the land, which today serves as a park, was transferred to KISH by the Tirana Municipal Council in July.
The designers are given the freedom to build a shared parking lot for the existing building and the tower, while the only condition for the Palace is "preserving the original architectural elements, without altering the existing volume."
The interventions requested since January by the Directorate of Government Services, which administers the Palace of Congresses, include work spaces for the Directorate, office spaces, conference facilities, and multifunctional spaces for artistic and cultural events.
Although the building has been restored twice within ten years, during Pope Francis' visit (2014) and for the Berlin Summit (2024), KISH argues in its appeal that they are not enough to bring the facility up to contemporary standards.
The institution justifies the intervention with reports from the Construction Institute, which highlight problems with water flooding in underground floors, air conditioning, plumbing, and technical plants.
Hazy process, decision-making without transparency
Signals for a new tower were given on July 24, when the City Council approved the transfer of the 2,261 m² garden behind the Palace of Congresses to KISH's administration - almost half of the total land that is being offered to the private sector today.
In the debates of that session, the socialist majority admitted that it had no technical information about the proposal. The acting Mayor of Tirana, Anuela Ristani, stated that she did not know whether a tower would be built, whether there would be any redesigns or even the possible demolition of the Palace of Congresses. However, the vote of her colleagues was given.
As Citizens.al reported at the time, KISH's first call, published on April 1 as "Reconstruction of the Palace of Congresses", was completely empty: no reports, no estimates, no floor plans. This approach fueled the opposition's suspicions that the process aimed to offer private land to public entities under the vague idea of "reconstruction".
Thus, the passage of the park was done through an expedited procedure, without transparency on the construction plans, without public consultation and without guarantees for the preservation of the green space. The call of KISH openly confirms the chosen model: the fulfillment of private interest before the civic interest, even in buildings of architectural and historical value for Tirana.
The government seems unable to find money even for the reconstruction of a historic building like the "Palace of Congresses", a budget for which it could easily afford without having to give anything in return.
But this is not the first time the government has applied the same formula.
The cases continuously followed and criticized by Citizens.al with the "Selman Stermasi" Stadium; the "Asllan Rusi" Sports Palace, the "Zyber Hallulli" Children's Home, the "National Library", the former Albanian Telegraphic Agency, etc. - further emphasize this.
Erblin Vukaj, Citizens
