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
the intent is to support a street life that feels open-ended
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
a series of small-scale urban blocks
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
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