oppenheim architecture layers village-scale blocks and vibrant towers on albania's coast

oppenheim architecture unveils coastal community in vlore

As Vlore, Albania, continues to evolve along its Adriatic shoreline, Oppenheim Architecture introduces a fresh layer to the city’s waterfront fabric with a large-scale development. Set at a junction between the old town, the Soda Forest, and a newly built marina, the Vlore Beach Urban Development spans a 20,465-square-meter site and adds 89,320 square meters of new construction. At its heart is a central pedestrian promenade that runs from boulevard to beach, intended as a public spine that connects architecture with landscape and everyday life with the larger rhythms of the city.

The masterplan draws on the structure of Albanian village clusters, spontaneous, irregular, and shaped by social closeness, reimagined here through a series of nukli, or small-scale urban blocks. These colorful, human-scaled buildings are organized around shared spaces and stitched together by a civic corridor lined with cafés, squares, shops, and shaded public areas. The intent is to support a street life that feels open-ended, including spaces for markets, performances, casual gatherings, and informal rituals.

all renderings by MIR

Stone and Timber compose the Human-Scaled Blocks

For these low-rise buildings, the team at Oppenheim Architecture uses stone, lime-based plasters, and timber detailing, referencing local construction techniques without replicating them. Their ground floors remain porous, encouraging overlap between commercial and communal activity. Above, shutters and screens introduce texture and rhythm while hinting at vernacular patterns, translated into a contemporary vocabulary.

Three towers, set within the block structure, rise above the otherwise modest scale of the neighborhood. Their positioning preserves view corridors and open space, while their facades follow the same design language to keep the architectural conversation consistent. 

Vlore Beach Urban Development treats the site as a point of convergence, a place where the natural and built environments, the inherited and the emerging are layered.

Oppenheim Architecture introduces a fresh layer to the Vlore’s waterfront fabric

the Vlore Beach Urban Development spans a 20,465-square-meter site

a central pedestrian promenade that runs from boulevard to beach

the masterplan draws on the structure of Albanian village clusters

a public spine that connects architecture with landscape

a civic corridor lined with cafés, squares, shops, and shaded public areas

for low-rise buildings Oppenheim Architecture uses stone, lime-based plasters, and timber detailing

ground floors remain porous

shutters and screens introduce texture

colorful, human-scaled buildings are organized around shared spaces

three towers rise above the otherwise modest scale of the neighborhood

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concept facades | all diagrams by Oppenheim Architecture

concept opening types, inspired by Vlore Old Town Windows

concept diagram

concept diagram

elevation

section

plan 1

plan 2

plan 3

project info:

name: Vlore Beach Urban Development

architect: Oppenheim Architecture | @oppenheimarchitecture

location: Vlore, Albania

site area: 20,465 square meters

built-up area: 89,320 square meters

client: Feniks Konstruksion SH.P.K.

head architects: Chad Oppenheim, Beat Huesler

design leads: Tom McKeogh (studio leader Europe), Rasem Kamal (design lead Europe)

masterplan lead: Alexandre Mecattaf

project concept leads: Jose Maria Urbiola (concept + SD refinement)

design team: Daniela Abella, Kristijan Markoc, Quirin Batsch, Helena Riesenberger, Laura Radics, Joana Sousa, Janet Vutcheva, Martino Cucurnia, Samuel Heitz, Inaya Berger

renderings: MIR | @mir.no