A sequence of intensely red square villas is a surprising addition to the Albanian Riviera. The new project by Spanish studio Bofill Taller de Arquitectura is a resort set on Mediterranean hillsides covered with olive trees. The individual buildings are connected and form a unified community. The intense colours, square shapes and distinctive staircase pay homage to the iconic La Muralla Roja project, which the studio’s late founder Ricardo Bofill designed in the 1960s.
One of the stars of postmodern architecture, Ricardo Bofill died in 2022, leaving behind colourful and very peculiar structures. One of the architect’s quirkiest works is the Espaces d’Abraxas suburban estate, which you can read about HERE. Espaces d’Abraxas exaggerates classical forms and creates a monumental building out of them. After the architect’s death, his studio was taken over by his sons Ricardo Emilio and Pablo. Their latest project is the Red Sol resort in the small resort town of Dhërmi in southern Albania.
Albanian red
The resort consists of a sequence of specially arranged holiday villas, where holidaymakers will find private courtyards and rooftop pools. The layout of the cottages is not coincidental, as overall the property is designed to resemble steep and jagged hillsides. This is an obvious reference to Albania’s distinctive mountains. The villas are connected by a labyrinth of streets and staircases, and the ground-floor parts retain a certain privacy. The entire development occupies 12,75 thousand square metres.
The unusual design is based on a Bofill project from the late 1960s. In the Spanish resort town of Calp, the La Muralla Roja (Red Wall) resort was created, which fascinates with its intense pink colour and angular shapes. It is a real labyrinth of stairs and different levels that looks slightly different from every perspective. From the outside, the building appears enclosed, a reference to the North African fortresses known as kasbahs. The fortified quarters of Arab cities protected important settlements, and their shape is similar to the one emulated by Bofill. Interestingly, the creators of the famous Squid Game series were inspired by Bofill ‘s work when creating the set.
In Albania, the enclosed red citadel conceals a compact network of 19 square villas, whose residents are induced to integrate through the layout of the site. Holidaymakers can access the beach directly via a single, long path ending in a red gate. It is also worth mentioning that the architects have brilliantly combined smooth red walls with glazed tile details. In contrast, the interiors of the cottages have been flooded with contrasting white.
From a fortress of poverty to a citadel of wealth
Albania is currently booming in terms of foreign investment. New and more interesting resorts such as Red Sol are being built in the warm resort areas. In turn, the country’s capital, Tirana, is being built up with creative and unprecedented skyscrapers. It is surprising that a country that was regarded as the “North Korea of Europe” during Enwer Hoxha’s dictatorship is slowly becoming a major player on the continent’s architectural map.
Photo source: Bofill Taller de Arquitectura, Mir
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