Oricon 2
Mixed-use
Tirana, Albania
Inspiration
Timeless in te Skyline
The Oricon Tower in Tirana is the result of a collaboration between Eduardo Souto de Moura and OODA, uniting two generations of portuguese architects in a project that combines experience, innovation and disciplinary rigour. The proposal reflects joint considerations regarding the contemporary city, its evolution, and the interrelationship between architecture and landscape.
Located on Dritan Hoxha Avenue, alongside the Bond Tower, the Oricon Tower marks the western entrance to Tirana. It functions as an urban gateway, forming a transitional element between the established urban fabric and the city’s newer developments. Set in an area of transformation along the axis connecting the airport to the city centre, the tower occupies a strategic position within the urban context.
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The project embraces proportion, structural clarity and materiality, adopting constructive expression as its guiding principle. With fifty floors and a mixed-use design, the tower combines concrete, marble, and glass — materials that draw on local tradition, lending the building a sense of sobriety and visual coherence — while its structure and finishes define its architectural identity.
Functional programme is organised as follows: offices and shops occupy the lower floors; apartments occupy the middle floors; a hotel occupies the upper floors; and a rooftop restaurant offering panoramic views of the city and the surrounding landscape occupies the top floor.
Inspired by the myth of adam and eve in their purest form, the project embodies refinement and essentiality-free from ornament, balanced in proportion. Its pure volume contrasts the bond tower, symbolizing their timeless first encounter.
The Myth
Internal circulation has been designed to optimise movement and efficiency within the building. The central core connects the lobbies for each area of the development, maximising the usable area and functionality. Detailed structural studies ensured that the architectural form was fully consistent with the underlying construction logic.
Casa Fez
