NOA Architects Craft Wavy, Earth-Toned Facades in Albania’s Coastal Berdenesh Hills

A modern citadel emerges in southern Albania

Noa architects have designed an innovative residential complex called Berdenesh Hills in Saranda, Albania. Spanning 26,000 square meters, this project features approximately 250 apartments, a hotel, and a community pavilion. The design embraces the Mediterranean landscape with wavy facades that echo the region’s natural geography.

Situated in Saranda, Berdenesh Hills is inspired by the area’s topography, light, and coastline. The architecture integrates earthy-toned terraces, reflecting the surrounding region’s character and offering a tranquil living space. This project marks NOA’s continued focus on southern Albania following their work on Tirana’s “Puzzle” tower.

Lukas Rungger, NOA founder and project architect, draws attention to the region’s captivating charm. “We were deeply impressed by the coastline of this region,” he says. The area features continuous inlets and small coves framed by the distant silhouette of Corfu, shaping the project’s spatial identity.

Blending history and modern design

Set amidst remnants of old castles and fortresses, Berdenesh Hills aims to blend history with modernity. The team has crafted a design concept that revives the idea of a citadel, forming a new neighborhood centered around a piazza, much like historical fortresses.

This modern citadel beautifully echoes Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, another monumental project integrating cutting-edge design with historical context.

Andrea Dal Negro, NOA architect, elaborates on the vision: “Unlike ancient fortresses, this contemporary citadel opens outward, connecting with its surroundings.” The rooftops rise and fall in line with the landscape, integrating with the natural environment.

With a central square spanning five terraced floors, the development features a Mediterranean park with lush vegetation. This natural connection enhances the living experience, making the environment an integral part of the design that they have envisioned.

Breaking architectural norms

The facades, adorned with warm, earthy tones in raw plaster, create a dynamic interplay of projections and recesses. This design breaks the traditional horizontality of multi-story buildings, offering expansive terraces for residents to enjoy outdoor life.

Every unit is designed with a private open space overlooking the picturesque sea, emphasizing their focus on outdoor living. The architecture carefully frames views, with lowered opaque parapets and thin metal rods providing unobstructed vistas.

Incorporating outdoor living in Berdenesh Hills is akin to DeForest Architects’ Suspended Woodland Retreat with its nature-centric design philosophy.

Construction on Berdenesh Hills is set to begin in 2026, with the project currently in further development stages. NOA is crafting projects in Albania while also working on transforming an agricultural site into a new neighborhood in the Dolomites, Italy, and collaborating with Atelier4 on a high-rise design.

This architectural venture promises to maintain a strong bond with its historical roots while creating a peaceful and connected community in a landscape where tradition meets modern innovation.

Source: worldarchitecture.org

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