The international competition to design the new Asllan Rusi Sports Palace in Tirana—a 6,000-seat arena that fuses sport, community, and urban life—was won by architecture firm MVRDV with a striking spherical design that will have 19 floors. Named The Grand Ballroom, the project combines an arena for basketball and volleyball with residential apartments, a hotel, and ground-level retail, creating a vibrant mixed-use complex that will become both a local gathering point and an architectural landmark on the route between the airport and city centre.
Developed in collaboration with Trema Tech shpk, Likado BV, Albanian Capital Group shpk, and BCN Investments BV, the design uses its distinctive form to integrate multiple programs on a compact site. The rounded structure eliminates rear façades, enhances views in all directions, and opens the ground plane to generous public plazas and outdoor sports areas for community use. Inside, functions are vertically layered: retail and cafés line a sunken plaza at the base, with the main arena above, flanked by training courts. Two hotel floors sit atop the stands, giving guests direct views into the arena through an oculus that can be sealed with glass for soundproofing.
Above, apartments are arranged within the double-shell structure, enclosing a lush, semi-outdoor courtyard garden. Openings cut through the shell introduce natural ventilation and shared green terraces, while dual-aspect units offer views of both the city and the arena below. The uppermost levels feature duplex penthouses and a skybar overlooking Tirana, completing the building’s sculptural dome.
“The Grand Ballroom will become a beacon—a place to play, meet, and celebrate,” says MVRDV founding partner Winy Maas. “Its spherical shape recalls both the ball used in sport and the optimism of architectural icons like Boullée’s Cenotaph and Fuller’s geodesic dome. A great sphere in the heart of Tirana can become a temple to sport and community, connecting people and continuing the city’s collection of bold new architecture.”