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The Unconventional Architectural narrative of Albania

Author: Dr. Doriana Musaj, Tirana

The collapse of the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the downfall of communist regimes in Eastern Europe, marked a significant turning point in the historical narrative of Albania. After declaring independence from the Ottoman Empire just prior to World I, Albania’s development as an independent nation-state was hijacked by a prolonged period of brutal repression under the 46-year reign of an oppressive Stalinist regime led by Albania’s dictator, Enver Hoxha. For the last decade of Hoxha’s reign (1975-1985), Albanians lived in complete isolation from the global community. The communist ideology that governed the nation for half a century initially eradicated the concept of God, subsequently fractured familial bonds, and established an intricate system of internal surveillance, reshaping society into distinct categories of party members and perceived adversaries of the state. Under these circumstances, the period of transition from an authoritarian regime to a democratic system has been – and remains —fraught with challenges. Despite the passage of over three decades, the nation has not engaged in the necessary work of reflecting on past events in order to understand how the dictatorship arose, its consequences and ongoing effects, or the significance of these things to contemporary social, cultural, political and economic life. This reflection is urgent and imperative.
This article begins reflecting on the past by exploring Albania’s dissonant architecture through a narrative perspective. Dissonant architecture possesses the unique ability to uncover and examine historical narratives embodied in architectural styles and spaces. As such, it serves as a conduit that connects past and present and so exposes the links between generations (links that oppressive regimes intentionally annihilate). In order to fully understand the various aspects of dissonant architecture in Albania, it's crucial at first to understand the historical context in which this architecture emerged. This article uses 2 architectural case studies to explicate this historical context and explore the stories of past and present that dissonant architecture tells: the Pyramid of Enver Hoxha, and the National Theater of Albania.

Stefania Rovereti