Albania’s tallest residential building is pixelated

No, we haven’t accidentally uploaded a pixelated image. The Building itself is pixelated.

Downtown One is a visually striking apartment and commercial building about to be built in Tirana, Albania. And it features a pixelated relief pattern map of Albania across its otherwise flat facade.

Dutch architects MVRDV designed the building which, at 140m will be the tallest building in the country.

Cantilevered cubes protrude from the surface of the building, creating balconies for the apartments. Each one represents a major town on the huge map. Some will act as outdoor garden terraces, which will break up the appearance of the building with lush greenery.

According to MVRDV, “The importance of the cantilevers is not only iconographic; for occupants of the building, the projecting bay windows offer spectacular panoramic views of the city and the mountains, while the terraces created enable communication and connection between residents to give the feeling of a vertical village.”

Like most inner-city apartment developments in Australia, Downtown One will also feature shops and restaurants at ground level. Above that will be office spaces, with the upper 18 floors being apartments.

Images: mvrdv