The jury described BIG’s proposal as ambitious and distinctive, praising its approach to the relationship between architecture, landscape and the city.

The winning design transforms the site into a broader urban landscape with a unified identity and positions the development as a gateway to Tirana, the jury said.

It also praised the project’s integration with Rinia Park, saying the building’s elevated volume would allow natural light while the surrounding landscape would preserve space for nature.

It described the proposal as a strong basis for further development and highlighted its positioning as a gateway to Tirana, creating a clear relationship between the urban context and nature.

Another key feature was the proposed integration with park, which the design seeks to turn into a broader civic destination. The jury recommended that the developers work closely with the government and city authorities to ensure the park is properly maintained.

BIG competed against Barozzi Veiga of Spain, Cobe of Denmark, l’AUC of France and JDSA – Julien De Smedt Architects of France.

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From a pool of 41 international competitors, the 5 finalist teams just presented their visions for the new Durrës university campus—a major milestone for Albanian higher education, research, and community life.

The goal is to create a vibrant academic ecosystem that unites education, innovation, and culture in one inspiring space. This competition represents a major step toward the campus of the future—serving as a transformative investment in both student life and the urban fabric of Durrës. /j.p/p.s./

The event, held at Antoniano in Bologna from November 28 – 30 and broadcast on Rai 1, concluded with Dakoli capturing the hearts of both the audience and the jury. The finale was hosted by Carlo Conti.

Dakoli lives in Monza and sings with the MiMiSol choir. Her bright and confident voice was immediately praised by critics and audiences alike, earning her first place on the podium. She has expressed ambitions to become a singer, painter, and fashion designer, citing Giorgia and Annalisa as her role models. On stage, she performed alongside the Piccolo Coro dell’Antoniano, conducted for the first time by Margherita Gamberini.

The winning song, a powerful peace message written by Francesco Marruncheddu and Lodovico Saccol, begins with a child’s perspective on a windy day, initially seeing it as a disruption. A grandmother encourages the child to notice the beauty in the wind, which dries laundry, turns book pages, brings flower scents, and carries musical notes. The lyrics evolve to portray the wind as a force that transcends borders, tears down walls, and carries a message of peace, accompanied by colorful flags in the sky.

Zecchino d’Oro 2025 featured 14 new songs from 28 authors, including well-known names such as Enrico Nigiotti, Giuliano Sangiorgi, Andrea Agresti, and Stefano Accorsi. The first two evenings were hosted by Carolina Benvenga and Lorenzo Baglioni, with Conti presiding over the finale and serving as artistic director for the ninth consecutive year.

In the final ranking, “Ci pensa il vento” took first place, followed by “Tu puoi essere” and “Boomer boom boom”, based on combined votes from children’s and adult juries.

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Twelve internationally renowned studios from the UK, Portugal, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Mexico, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy competed in the final phase. From these, five were shortlisted, and BIG was ultimately selected by the jury as the winner.

Prime Minister Edi Rama hailed the park as “a unique project within the vision of Tirana 2030 for Albania 2030,” where faiths “will be seen and experienced through the trees and plants of sacred texts.”

The government head described the competition as “the most complex, emotional, and challenging” architectural process organized so far, praising the high quality and sensitivity of all submissions.

“What you have brought us is admirable. This project will make us proud – a special moment for architecture where nature and landscape are woven together harmoniously,” Rama said, adding that such initiatives inspire hope beyond political divisions.

Designed as a symbolic space of interfaith coexistence and cultural harmony, Faith Park will stand as an iconic work enriching Albania’s spiritual and natural landscape. The winning concept design was praised for its inclusive and innovative approach, blending nature, humanity, and belief into a unified architectural vision.

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British cyclist beat pre-race favourite Primoz Roglic by a solitary second to finish the 13.7-kilometer route through the Albanian capital of Tirana in 16 minutes and seven second, beating the Slovenian rider by only a second.

Rider Jay Vine ranked third, followed by the Italian cyclist Affini and the Czech Vacek.

The opening stage’s winner Mads Pedersen finished seventh, 12 seconds behind Tarling.

The Giro remains in Albania for Sunday’s third stage. The hilly 160-kilometer leg starts and finishes in the coastal city of Vlora.

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Albania is lucky enough to host the first 3 stages of the “Giro d’Italia” bicycle racing, where 184 cyclists compete divided into 23 teams.

At the end of the first stage, Danish cyclist Mads Pedersen came in the first place, finishing the race in 3 hours, 36 minutes and 24 seconds.

Prime Minister Edi Rama shared in the social media an interview with cyclist Mads Pederson at the beginning and end of the race.

Asked if Albania would be his favorite country, Pedersen said, “If I win, of course it will be my favorite country”.

What now?! “Finally! It’s my favorite now”, he said after being declared the winner.

The “Giro d’Italia” will continue today with the second stage, which will be held in Tirana. It is a 13.7 km individual time trial through the streets of the capital, including a 1.2 km climb with a gradient of 5.7%. /p.s./

The 108th edition of Giro d’Italia 2025, one of the most prestigious cycling races in the world, began for the first time outside Italy’s borders in Albania earlier today and it is slated to complete after 21 stages and 3443,3 kilometers in Rome on Sunday, June 1.

Albania will host the first three stages of the race with the Grande Partenza of the 2025 Giro d’Italia in Durrës, Albania, as 184 riders rolled out for a 160-kilometre stage to arrive at around 5:00 pm in Tirana.

Rider Jay Vine went down on a fast descent and was injured just a few meters before the finishing line in Tirana. Cyclists Mikel Landa and Geoffrey Bouchard also crashed.

The race is being broadcast in over 200 territories thanks to a global network of broadcasters and media partners with over 800 million viewers worldwide set to lay their eyes on Albania.

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Speaking at a meeting with local business community representatives in Lezhe, PM Rama, also leader of the ruling Socialist Party (SP), focused on the government initiatives to provide relief to business and the road infrastructure in this district.

“The winner of the tender for construction of the long-awaited Milot-Balldren road will be announced in the next few days and work on construction of the segment will begin shortly after. The road segment will be built according to highest standards of the Thumane-Kashar highway,” PM Rama said.

The government head also said that the design is ready and work on transformation of the coastal town of Shengjin will begin soon.

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The winning song “Zjerm” will now be the country’s entry to the 69th Eurovision Song Contest at Besel 2025.

Shkodra Elektronike, with their innovative mix of electronic beats and traditional Albanian folk, captured both the jury’s and the audience’s hearts, securing 143 points. Singer Elvana Gjata emerged second with her song “Karnaval,” earning 135 points, while Alis secured third place with “Mjegull,” receiving 59 points.

The annual event, which has long been a cornerstone of Albanian music, brought together a diverse range of artists, showcasing the country’s deep musical roots and the dynamic, evolving sound of its music scene.

Shkodra Elektronike is the music project of two Albanian immigrants who grew up in Italy, after leaving their native city of Shkodër. The duo is made up of songwriter-producer Kolë Laca and singer-songwriter Beatriçe Gjergji. At the heart of the project is the pair’s passion for re-interpreting traditional songs of Shkodra in a contemporary electronic style.

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Prime Minister Edi Rama announced today that the jury of the “WAN Awards EMEA” qualifies the Pyramid of Tirana as a “bold project”, open to the public, and surrounded by an ensemble of colorful boxes, distributed in and around the original building.

The jury of the “WAN Awards EMEA” appreciated that the transformation of the Pyramid shows how a building can be adapted for a “new era”, while preserving its complex history.

“Instead of demolishing a structure in vain, its strong concrete foundation has been adapted. Large sheets of glass replace the windows between the concrete beams of the Pyramid, protecting the interior from the rain, while simultaneously keeping it open to the elements of nature”, the jury evaluated.

The well-known architect Eva Jiricna, chairwoman of the jury of “WAN Awards EMEA” praised the designers for this good solution, “that can heal even the deepest wounds”. /m.m/r.e/p.s./