Mozaic of Tirana by SON Architects+

The Mosaic of Tirana, a fragment of Albania’s ancient memory, lies near the city’s heart, yet struggles against the weight of urban growth. The project envisions its rebirth, shaping a place where preservation and discovery meet – welcoming travellers, researchers, and wanderers of history. The visitor’s path unfolds as choice: to stand before the mosaic itself, or to trace its stories through carefully woven narratives.

Arrival begins at a modest square, where the ticket office and surrounding forms echo the vernacular rhythms of the neighbourhood and the symbols embedded in the site. Three gestures define the intervention: the entrance pavilion, the protective shelter, and a two-story structure housing laboratories, exhibitions, and offices. Inspired by the mosaic’s own “flower of life”, the design reinterprets its geometry as petals of shelter – lightweight, translucent, filtering sun into shifting patterns of shadow. Inside, exhibitions and technical spaces ground the visitor; above, offices and an open laboratory rise in quiet dialogue. Digital layers – virtual tours, interactive tools – carry the mosaic further, ensuring its survival, not as relic, but as living landmark.