Terraced Residential Complex in Albania

A new terraced residential complex is taking shape in Saranda, Albania, blending contemporary design with the region’s dramatic coastal topography. The 26,000-square-metre development includes approximately 250 apartments, a hotel, and a community pavilion.

Modern Citadel Responds to Coastal Context

The project emerges as a modern interpretation of historical fortifications scattered throughout southern Albania. However, unlike ancient citadels, this development opens outward to embrace its surroundings. The design responds directly to the Mediterranean landscape, incorporating terraced volumes that follow the natural hillside contours.

The journey from Tirana to Saranda reveals a transition from dense urban fabric to rural hills covered in Mediterranean scrub. This transformation influenced the architectural design approach. Moreover, the coastline unfolds as a continuous spline marked by inlets, bays, and small coves framed by Corfu’s distant silhouette.

Facades feature bands of raw plaster in warm tones, creating a dynamic play of light and shadow that breaks the rigid horizontality typical of traditional apartment blocks. (Image © NOA)

Terraced Architecture Meets Topography

Roof planes rise and fall according to site topography, creating an amphitheatrical layout. This terraced residential complex centers on a main plaza spanning five levels. Additionally, the entire site functions as a Mediterranean park with native vegetation.

The development departs from Saranda’s typical tower typology. Instead, it reimagines neighborhood planning through horizontal massing and stepped profiles. This approach establishes continuity with historical settlement patterns while addressing contemporary urban planning needs.

Material Expression and Spatial Integration

Facades feature bands of warm, earthy-toned raw plaster echoing surrounding landscape lines. These organic forms create dynamic projections and recesses extending from base to top. Consequently, the rigid horizontality typical of multi-story buildings disappears.

Bedroom interior design featuring organic ceiling patterns and floor-to-ceiling windows opening onto a private sea-view terrace. — Interior spaces reflect the exterior architectural language through organic ceiling forms, while large glazing dissolves the boundary between the living area and the Mediterranean horizon. (Image © NOA)

Generous terraces provide outdoor spaces for residents while reinforcing environmental integration. The coastal setting emphasizes outdoor living, therefore every unit includes private open space. Building volumes reach maximum heights of six stories, tapering at shorter sides to create accessible terraces.

Views were carefully framed with the sea as continuous backdrop. Opaque parapets lower at living areas, replaced by thin metal rods providing unobstructed sightlines. This strategy strengthens the connection between interior spaces and coastal panorama.

Community-Centered Design

The central square includes a community pavilion serving as the development’s focal point. This public space anchors the terraced residential complex and encourages social interaction among residents.

The project demonstrates how contemporary architecture can respond to specific regional characteristics. Furthermore, it shows how large-scale residential development can integrate with sensitive coastal environments without defaulting to vertical typologies.

Pedestrians walking along landscaped paths within the terraced residential complex surrounded by native vegetation and water features. — The ground level is treated as a Mediterranean park, where lush vegetation and water features enhance the microclimate and pedestrian experience between building volumes. (Image © NOA)

The exposed stone slabs behind the site create a tectonic landscape of projections and recesses. This geological context informed the architectural language, resulting in forms that echo natural patterns.

Will this terraced approach influence future coastal development in Albania’s rapidly growing resort towns?

A Quick Architectural Snapshot

The Berdenesh Hills development spans 26,000 square metres in Saranda, Albania. The terraced residential complex includes approximately 250 apartments organized across multiple building volumes. Raw plaster in earthy tones defines exterior facades. Buildings reach six stories maximum height. A five-level central plaza with community pavilion anchors the development within Mediterranean park landscaping.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

The emergence of terraced residential complexes along Albania’s southern coast follows a recognizable pattern. Rapid construction expansion since the 1990s created pressure to differentiate from vertical tower typologies now saturating Saranda’s skyline. Investor demand for sea views drives unit multiplication across sloped terrain. Mediterranean lifestyle marketing requires every apartment to possess private outdoor space regardless of spatial efficiency.

The citadel narrative serves a specific function. It provides cultural legitimacy for large-scale development in historically sensitive areas. Earthy material palettes and organic facade rhythms reduce visual opposition from planning authorities and local communities. Horizontal massing distributes density perception while maintaining unit counts comparable to tower alternatives.

The project reflects a broader regional shift. Coastal tourism economies increasingly favor residential investment products over hotel inventory. This pattern appears wherever Mediterranean waterfront land values intersect with northern European capital seeking climate-based lifestyle returns.