Dutch office MVRDV has won the competition for the new sports and residential complex Asllan Rusi in Tirana. The complex of facilities will include an arena for 6,000 spectators, a hotel, flats and ground floor retail units. The project, named The Grand Ballroom, will take the form of a sphere with a diameter of more than 100 metres and has the potential to become a new icon of the Albanian capital.
The Grand Ballroom without the rear facade
The concept was prepared in collaboration with Trema Tech, Likado, Albanian Capital Group and BCN Investments offices. A key element of the design is the spherical shape, which allows multiple functions to be distributed on a relatively small plot of land. The circular plan has made it possible to eliminate the effect of the ‘rear’ elevation, and the indentations at the base of the building free up the surrounding space. This will create public plazas and sports areas accessible to residents of the area.
Layers of function and space in the Asllan Rusi complex in Tirana
The functional layout of the building has been laid out in several floors. The lower part, where the sphere touches the ground, houses the retail and service row with cafés and venues accompanying sporting events. Above this is the main arena, accessible from ground level via short bridges. Further floors are occupied by a hotel, whose lower rooms offer views of the sporting games and whose upper common areas extend above the stands.
The green interior of The Grand Ballroom in Tirana
The upper levels of the building are filled with flats organised around an inner courtyard. It is a huge, semi-open space with trees and relaxation areas designed for residents. Rectangular openings have been planned in several places in the sphere’s shell to allow natural ventilation. Some of the flats have windows facing the outside, while others provide views of the inner garden and the arena through a central opening in the roof.
The Grand Ballroom as a symbol of sport and community
As Winy Maas, co-founder of MVRDV, points out, the development is intended to become a meeting and activity place for Tirana residents. “The spherical shape is reminiscent of the ball and at the same time reminiscent of ancient temples of knowledge, from Étienne-Louis Boullée’s Cenotaph for Newton to Buckminster Fuller’s domes,” says the architect. The project joins a series of new developments that give the Albanian capital a distinct architectural identity.
Name: The Grand Ballroom
Location: Tirana, Albania
Design: MVRDV
Read also: MVRDV | Featured | Albania | Architecture | Sports | Hotel
