NLA Co-Founder Peter Murray reflects on his tour to Prishtina, the capital of Kosovo, to attend the Share Architects Conference, explore the capital and meet Mayor Rama.

An invitation to speak at the SHARE Architects conference in Prishtina, capital of Kosovo, in March provided a welcome opportunity to discover more about a region of which I felt embarrassingly uninformed. 

NLA has always liked to engage with other cities to swap notes on how we make them better and so I put a note in NLW and Linked In inviting others to join me on the trip. BIG had just won a new opera house in the capital and BIG partner Andy Young gave positive reports of this young and enthusiastic nation. 

There's a lot going on. The growth rate is driven by strong investment, robust foreign direct investment (FDI), solid household consumption and monies from the diaspora - those who left because of the war and its aftermath. 

Not just funds are returning. The returning diaspora fills a lot of key jobs, people like Perparim Rama, Mayor of Prishtina who came to the UK when he was 16, trained as an architect and practised here until he returned home in 2018.Transitioning to politics, Rama was elected as Mayor in 2021. His mayoral agenda focuses on urban revitalisation, sustainable development, and enhancing the city's cultural landscape, leveraging his architectural background to inform his vision for Prishtina's future. 

The capital is a city in transformation—an eclectic mix of post-war resilience, youthful energy, and emerging urban ambition. Long marked by informal development and post-conflict challenges, Prishtina is now positioning itself as a cultural and technological hub in the Western Balkans. 

Urban change is visible in the New Prishtina Urban Plan, which emphasises sustainable mobility, green public spaces, and better infrastructure. The revitalisation of Mother Teresa Square and expanding pedestrian zones reflect a shift toward liveability and community-focused design. 

Architecture in Prishtina is a layered narrative: Brutalist icons like the National Library coexist with cool cafés, co-working spaces, and new residential developments. The city's youthful population—bolstered by its universities and tech scene—is driving innovation, nightlife, and civic activism. 

I had the great pleasure of discussing these aspects of city-making with Mayor Rama and enjoyed an early morning bike ride with him on one of the hire bikes recently installed in the city. 

My shout-out for people to join me produced an intriguing bunch of designers who made a good cross-section of firms working in London, and we did a joint series of presentations - Harry Dobbs spoke on craft, design and identity, Hakan Agca of Cross Works talked of the large scale masterplanning projects he is delivering internationally, Cezary Bednarsky was provocative about the rebuilding of Gaza, Evgeny Didoreko of LDA Design talked about public space improvements in London and Elena Tsolakis, with offices in London and Cyprus, highlighted her iconic Star Observatory in Agridia, Cyprus; all reflecting London's role as a global design hub. 

It's a three and a half hour scenic drive through the Skanderbeg Mountains to the Albanian capital of Tirana which, over the past two decades has undergone a striking transformation, emerging as one of the most dynamic and visually engaging cities in the Balkans. Once characterised by chaotic urban sprawl and ageing communist-era infrastructure, the city is now the focus of ambitious urban regeneration efforts and contemporary masterplanning. Grimshaw, with Paolo Vimercati, has extended the historic north-south axis centred on Skanderbeg Square a further three kilometres. The boulevard connects the two large city lakes. Its east-west axis is redeveloped to become a linear park, rejuvenating the River Tirana and the city in the process. 

At the heart of Tirana's modernisation is the Tirana 2030 Master Plan, developed by Stefano Boeri Architetti. The plan envisions a polycentric city with green corridors, pedestrian zones, and cultural districts, aiming to balance growth with sustainability. One of its central ideas is the creation of an "orbital forest" around the city, preserving green space and limiting urban sprawl. 

Tirana's architecture is evolving just as boldly. The city centre has seen extensive pedestrianisation. Skanderbeg Square, redesigned by 51N4E, has become a symbol of public space reclamation, featuring a large, open plaza in local stone from across Albania shaped as a very flat pyramid which subtly changes the viewpoint to surrounding buildings as you cross. 

In parallel, private development has introduced high-rise apartments, hotels, and mixed-use buildings that are reshaping Tirana's skyline. While these changes have drawn criticism for rapid gentrification, they also signal a new era for the city: one that is forward-looking, design-conscious, and increasingly connected to European urban trends. 

Tirana is no longer just Albania's capital—it is becoming a regional model for urban innovation and architectural reinvention. We were pleased to meet with the Minister for Local Government, Arbjan Mazniku. Mazniku was previously Deputy Mayor of Tirana, where he played a key role in implementing the urban revitalisation projects and improving public services. His tenure emphasised creating green spaces and modernising infrastructure to elevate residents' quality of life.

He represents the very bright diaspora returners with overseas experience who bring new skills to the region. Arbjan has a Master's in Political Communication from the University of Sheffield and was part of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative at Harvard.

He was keen to show us plans to transform the industrial area in Elbasan, some 35 km outside Tirana, into a productive hub stimulating economic growth in the region. Historically, Elbasan was a focal point of industrial activity during the communist era, hosting the Chinese-supplied "Steel of the Party" metallurgical complex. However, many of these industrial sites are now abandoned leaving some dramatic industrial ruins as their heritage. The current plans aim to rejuvenate these areas, leveraging existing infrastructure to establish modern industrial and technological hubs. The Auto Moto Park Albania at Elbasan will host Formula 1 races to bolster the nation's tourism sector and elevate its global profile.

At the Minister's suggestion the London team agreed to come back with ideas about masterplanning the area. Later in the week there was to be a workshop of local and international architects. The London team got there first. So Cross Works et al stand a chance of being considered for this major national project, which is pretty cool.

I'll be organising another mini trade mission to Tashkent in September. If you're interested, please get in touch at pgsmurray@mac.com.