Sculpted Comfort: A Concrete Veterinary Hospital in Tirana Redefines Animal Care

Concrete rarely evokes softness or warmth, yet the newly unveiled veterinary hospital in Tirana, Albania, challenges this assumption with grace and intelligence. Designed by Swiss firm Davide Macullo Architects, this 2,243-square-metre facility is more than a medical space—it’s a sculptural sanctuary where architecture serves both physical healing and emotional comfort for animals.

Occupying a prime location in the Albanian capital, the building merges a veterinary clinic with a pet hotel across three sinuous storeys. Curving concrete walls wrap around lush, terraced gardens, offering pets tactile, open, and nature-infused environments. Far from the sterile norms of traditional animal hospitals, this project speaks to a deeper understanding of animal psychology, aiming to reduce stress by erasing the sense of confinement.

The design doesn’t just offer aesthetic delight; it proposes a model for how animal care spaces can be made more humane, more therapeutic, and more architectural. The project is not only a breakthrough in veterinary design but also a powerful commentary on how spatial language can be tailored to non-human users. Through this design, Tirana gains a structure that bridges sculpture, psychology, and care.

Curved Walls and Natural Light: A New Language of Animal Wellness

Sculptural Form, Strategic Function

The design’s fluid concrete walls are not merely visual statements. According to the architects, these flowing forms dissolve any “atavistic fears of enclosure.” The soft curves stand in contrast to the structured grid of the interior plan, creating a visual and psychological balance. This language of openness and continuity is vital for pets in distress or recovery, who benefit from environments that avoid visual aggression or tight enclosures.

A Dual-Purpose Space

Functionally, the building accommodates both medical and recreational needs. At the rear, more rectilinear spaces on the ground floor host the treatment rooms and administrative offices. These zones rely on a more orthogonal plan for efficiency, yet even here, subtle curvature in the perimeter walls keeps the spatial experience cohesive.

Interiors That Continue the Conversation

Inside, the raw concrete carries through, maintaining a consistent architectural narrative. The material defines the entrance and reception area, communicating strength and permanence while allowing for plenty of glazing to welcome natural light. This thoughtful material choice invites visitors and patients into an atmosphere of calm and durability.

Gardens in the Sky

Elevated terraces punctuate the upper floors, shaded by overhanging concrete curves. These gardens are more than ornamental—they’re therapeutic zones. Pets and their human companions can access semi-private, outdoor areas designed to reduce anxiety. Concrete planters and strategic voids allow for greenery, ventilation, and daylight, all of which support the physical and psychological recovery process.

Design Logic Behind the Curves

“What begins as simple, static geometry…unfolds into a dynamic network of curves that turn this space into a true place,” notes Davide Macullo Architects. This transformation from rational to fluid speaks to the dual nature of the project: scientifically grounded but emotionally resonant. The concrete forms not only provide enclosure but gesture toward openness—an ideal metaphor for healing.

Architectural Analysis

From a design standpoint, the vet hospital in Tirana is a compelling blend of brutalist aesthetics and psychological spatial planning. The decision to use exposed concrete—often associated with institutional coldness—was subverted through sculptural gestures and curved compositions. The material becomes warm and tactile when shaped into soft arcs, creating an inviting atmosphere.

The spatial organization reflects a deep understanding of the behavioral differences between species. Dogs and cats are spatially separated when needed, but common areas maintain a sense of community and coexistence. The landscape interventions—terraced gardens and shaded canopies—are not afterthoughts but integral to the wellness design strategy. In context, the building stands out in Tirana’s urban landscape as both a sculpture and a service.

Project Importance

This project carries broader implications for how we design for animals. Just as hospitals for humans have evolved to support mental as well as physical health, so too must animal care facilities evolve. This hospital shows how psychological comfort, natural light, and open spatial configurations can be powerful tools in veterinary architecture.

It invites architects to consider how materials, forms, and circulation can communicate safety and freedom to non-verbal beings. Its holistic approach to care—combining gardens, light, air, and form—positions it as a typological innovation in pet wellness infrastructure. At a time when human-animal relationships are becoming ever more important in urban contexts, this project sets a new benchmark.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

This concrete veterinary hospital challenges our assumptions about what healing spaces should look and feel like—for animals as well as humans. The exterior’s flowing geometry contrasts with the heavy mass of concrete, softening its visual weight and inviting natural movement. Inside, continuity in materials and the presence of daylight enhance a sense of calm.

Still, one could ask whether the reliance on concrete might limit long-term adaptability or environmental performance. Could future iterations consider hybrid materials to soften its thermal profile while keeping the sculptural integrity?

Despite this, the project succeeds in expressing a new typology for veterinary care—one that’s spatially generous, emotionally intelligent, and visually striking. It leads us to reimagine what animal-centered design can truly achieve.

Conclusion

The concrete veterinary hospital in Tirana is not just an architectural experiment but a thoughtful reimagining of how we treat the spaces where animals heal. By refusing sterile conventions and instead embracing sculptural fluidity, the architects have delivered a space that supports life, motion, and recovery.

Its impact lies not just in its form but in its empathy—its ability to acknowledge the silent needs of its users. The terraces, curves, and open-air gardens work in unison to tell a story of coexistence, care, and creativity. It offers lessons not just in design but in attitude—towards how we build, whom we build for, and why spatial freedom matters in every species’ journey to wellness.

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