Houses of Culture - the highest end of postwar architecture in Albania

Housing Albanian Culture is the title of the exhibition planned to be open to the public from 23rd to 26th October 2025 at the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Tirana, Albania, previously known as the Great Palace of Culture of Tirana. This presentation is part of the research conducted by the Albanian postgraduate student Tea Mersuli, under the supervision of Professor Henrieta Moravčíková at the Faculty of Architecture and Design STU. Inspired by the research on postwar architecture in Slovakia, after 12 years of studying and working in Bratislava, Tea decided to bring some of the Slovak expertise and methodology of research to her home country. 

Following the steps of similar studies on postwar architecture in Slovakia and elsewhere in Europe, this research focuses on the evolution of the architectural typology of the Houses of Culture, built in large numbers between 1950 and 1990. Conceptualized as a decentralized cultural institution, the House of Culture hosted theatre, cinema, artistic classes, training, exhibitions, library, archive, reading rooms, game spaces, dedicated to all age groups, from children to the elderly.

Similarly to Slovakia, their architecture represents the highest ends of postwar modernism, due to their public importance and artistic expression in the main public squares of every city and town across the country. Due to the long-standing neglect, most of these buildings demand attention and careful renovation.

n this exhibition, the first part of the research will be presented to the Albanian public, focusing on the mapping of the phenomenon and showcasing the architecture of selected houses of culture. Another focus of the exhibition will be the photographic documentation of their current state, in comparison to the original state of the buildings. 

The exhibition is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Albania and the Faculty of Architecture and Design, STU Bratislava, and was prepared in close collaboration with local archives, national archives, municipalities, and individual houses of culture.