Building of the Institute for Formerly Politically Persecuted

History and Background

The Building of Formerly Persecuted in Tirana was constructed in the 1930s to house the Embassy of Italy to Albania. Later, the building was expanded to accommodate the Headquarters of the War Veterans and several international friendship associations with various countries. The proportions and decorations on the façade reflect the use of historicism, drawing inspiration for its design from classical architecture. The restoration of this important building was carried out by the EU4Culture team and finalized in 2023.

It is located on the George W. Bush Street in front of the Albanian Parliament in a neighborhood abundant with the other old buildings representing different styles and architectural trends of the historical urban landscape of the Albanian capital. The surrounding area is distinguished for the overlap of different architectural periods, which gives the building a special value in its symbolism as a monument. 

Scope of Works

The scope of restoration/rehabilitation works is as follows:

  1. site construction and scaffolding of the façade of the building;
  2. removal of existing layers of the floors and roofs, removal of the plaster of the interior walls, removal of existing electrical and hydraulic installations etc.;
  3. structural consolidation of load-bearing walls;
  4. roof inspection and substitution of degraded elements, insulation against heat and water;
  5. restoration of all internal spaces: rooms, toilets, doors, windows, stairs, floors etc.;
  6. new mechanical systems (firefighting, water supply, waste water system; rainwater system, HVAC);
  7. new electrical systems (power supply, fire detection system, LAN, lightning system, CCTV, earthing, digital systems).

Contract Value and Start Date

The total value of contracted works for the project is 66,690,740ALL (Euro 574,000). The project commenced in September 2022 and is planned to last for ten months with a current estimated completion date of June 2023 (subject to normal operating environments).