A project with a similar philosophy has appeared in the magazine before, so the editorial team decided to dig deeper and understand why this small Balkan country has become Europe’s most unexpected architectural laboratory. Prime Minister Edi Rama, a former painter, began repainting the dull façades of prefabricated apartment blocks in bright colors while serving as mayor of Tirana. Later, as prime minister, he invited more than 30 international studios to rethink the capital. Today, projects by Souto de Moura, OMA, MVRDV, and Bofill are being built across the country simultaneously.
"The most interesting and relevant, and therefore the most controversial and debated museum of contemporary architecture in the world," is how architect Stefano Boeri, author of the Tirana 2030 masterplan, describes the capital.
The architectural boom has now reached the coastline as well. In Durrës, a port city half an hour from Tirana, Spanish studio SelgasCano is building the Sky-K residential complex.
The site lies behind Rruga Taulantia, the Adriatic promenade recently transformed into a linear park. Around it is classic Mediterranean density: residential towers, palm trees, beaches, and port infrastructure.
The architects began with a gesture aimed not at buyers, but at neighbors: the entire ground floor was dedicated to a Mediterranean garden open to all residents of the district. Above it, an oval podium rises on six concrete columns, from which two towers emerge — one red, one yellow.
SelgasCano themselves call them chimneys. Durrës is a port city whose skyline has long been shaped by industrial verticals. The Sky-K towers continue this industrial memory while reversing it: the form is industrial, but the content is residential. Color has replaced soot.
From the beach, the towers resemble a poster: solid color, a rhythm of circular openings, and not a single visible window. The sculpted wavy façade emphasizes their height, punctuated by circular terrace openings of different diameters. From inside, they frame panoramic views of the sea, the port, and the hills beyond the city. The terraces also serve a practical purpose, providing cross ventilation for every apartment.
The plot measures 1,400 m², with only 430 m² occupied by the building footprint. The total area of the complex is 9,500 m². The project was named after the client, Casey, described by the architects as "our wonderful friend and client." The towers are scheduled for completion in 2027.
SelgasCano was founded in 1998 by José Selgas and Lucía Cano. Their office became one of the most viewed projects in ArchDaily history: an 18-meter translucent capsule partially buried in the ground, with an acrylic wall revealing every tree outside. Bright colors, unconventional materials, and a desire to reconnect architecture with nature unite all of the studio’s work. With Sky-K, the architects have applied these principles to multifamily housing for the first time.
It is remarkable how two colorful chimneys can reshape the silhouette of an entire city. Is it the magic of color or architecture itself? SelgasCano prefers not to separate the two.