davide macullo architects reveals their latest projects taking place in Albania: Valona Hills, The Seed, and The Eagle.
VALONA HILLS: I-CONES
Valona is the south—the sea, the hills, the sun, and the brilliance of light. Our new complex enhances the soul of this place, reinforcing the sense of freedom one experiences when journeying south—where nature unfolds in its purest, most liberated form.
Valona Hills draws inspiration from the intimate scale of the historic urban fabric, where low-rise buildings define the character of the city. The lower section of the building respects this context, gradually rising with alternating vertical elements that filter light and views. This creates a façade that is both solid and permeable engaging with the rhythm of the pedestrian experience and maintains a connection between architecture and the human scale. Above, the volumes lift away from the pedestrian’s perception, their conical forms dissolving the rigidity of traditional urban fronts. Gentle curvatures soften their presence, allowing them to elude a fixed perspective, always shifting, always light.
Here, we’re not just creating a building—we’re creating a space for living, one that will be continuously shaped by its inhabitants. With vibrant greenery and dynamic colour, this development will be enriched over time, becoming a true part of its community.
THE SEED, TIRANA
Building in Albania is not just about asking “why,” but also “how.” It’s about approaching the landscape with reverence, ensuring that architecture becomes a natural extension of the land, not an imposition upon it. The Seed Tirana is a celebration of this approach, where design begins with nature itself—its flowing topography, lakes, hills, forests, and stones.
The concept behind The Seed Tirana is rooted in these natural elements. The new volumes gently settle into the terrain, following the land’s contours in terraced layers that mirror the agricultural landscapes of the region. Rather than standing apart, these structures emerge from the hills, enhancing the area’s historic character. Sculpted by time, the forms blend into the environment, maintaining a sense of lightness and continuity that connects the built and natural worlds.
This project embodies a philosophy of architecture that respects its surroundings, creating a space that feels as though it has always belonged to the landscape.
THE EAGLE, TIRANA
Tirana’s newest landmark rises like an eagle in flight—bold, light, and unmistakably rooted in Albania’s identity. More than just a building, it’s a manifesto in stone and light, a bridge between a proud past and an ambitious future.
This architecture doesn’t shout, it speaks—rational yet poetic, drawing from Mediterranean classics and reinterpreting them in a sustainable, contemporary language. From a distance, its silhouette is iconic. Up close, it’s open, welcoming, and human.
Designed to connect—physically with the street, symbolically with the nation’s spirit—it creates an urban rhythm and a space for meaning. Balconies adapt to the seasons, light sculpts its form, and every detail balances strength with grace. It’s not just a structure. It’s Albania taking flight.