This mixed-use project, which is located in the well-known coastal city of Saranda on Albania’s southern border, attempts to put together forgotten memories from the city’s urban fabric and redefine them within the frames of contemporary architecture.

Saranda is a seaside city that was glorious in the 1980s and early 1990s before greedy construction took over. The hills on which it was built have historically imposed a specific urban structure on the city. The relief rises from the sea to the inland, creating dis-leveled terraces from one building to the next and connecting them via stairways and alleys.

The arcade and the stone-covered façades, architectural elements borrowed from the nearby ancient city of Butrint, have traditionally been present in typical constructions.

However, the city’s structure has been messed with during the past 15 years in a way that threatens to wipe off the majority of the built identity of the city. Stones and arcades have been forgotten. New buildings have suddenly obstructed the stairways.

The architects hope to reintroduce all these aspects through Old Saranda Rising, with a bolder and more modern approach than before. The project serves as an example of how the forgotten architecture and urban fabric of the city can be restored.