While it was promoted as Tirana's second largest park, Lake Farka was transformed into an area of exclusive villas and towers. In the last decade, the green hills around the lake were transformed into large construction sites.
The latest project "Albora's Lake" envisages 17 towers and dozens of private residences and villas, in what seems to put an end once and for all to the concept of public space in the large Farka park.
A mass of buildings by the lake
The “Albora's Lake” project was presented at the controversial “Bread & Heart” architecture festival held in June.
Read the editorial: “Bread, heart and concrete".
It was created by British architect Amin Taha's studio, Groupwork, who was also present at the festival as a guest.
"Albora's lake" envisions a "frightening" construction complex spread over about 30-35 hectares of land northeast of Lake Farka.
According to the models reviewed by Citizens.al, at least five rows of around 70 villas, 40 buildings (five to ten floors), a complex with a shopping center, gallery and Olympic swimming pool, a park and a little further on a massif of 17 30-story towers are planned to be built there.
The explanatory label on the model emphasized that permits for this concept were obtained in the period 2024-2025 and that work has begun with a completion period of 2027-30.
Currently, the only public document that talks about this project is an agenda of the meetings of the National Council for Territory and Water. At the meeting of January 28, 2025, KKTU briefly states that the approval of the development permit is anticipated.
It is not clear whether this project has actually started construction. The Balfin group, owned by entrepreneur Samir Mane, is also building in the same area.
Since 2023, entrepreneur Mane's company has been developing the "Rolling Hills Lake" project with direct entrances and exits on the eastern side of the "Big Ring Road".
According to the sales brochure (pp. 14-15), it is understood that in the area where the "Albora's Lake" project is planned to be located, the second phase of Balfin's villas and residential complexes has been conceived.
Who is the developer?
The "Albora's Lake" project was commissioned by "Lion Construction shpk" of entrepreneurs Erion Gina and Bardhjus Bushaj, who have a significant construction portfolio in Tirana and the coast and enjoy connections and contacts with other entrepreneurs such as Aleksandër Frangaj, Florenc Gjikuria, etc.
The company "Lion Construction" is known for the project at the former "Lion Park" restaurant at the northeastern entrance to the Tirana Artificial Lake, which after 2019 was transformed into the 14-story "Lion Residence" tower.
In May 2022, Gina and Bushaj bought the company "Urbalb Construction" from Samir Mane for around 250 thousand euros, which in December of that year received a building permit for the conversion of the former "Party School" in Lapraka into a 34-story tower.
The project, conceived by the Italian "architecture star" Giacomo Garziano (GG-Loop), is now called "Lion Residence II", in 2025 The permit was revised, adding an underground floor.
Gina and Bushaj also own other companies such as “Top Realty Albania”, “Golden Key”, “Seaside Construction”, or “EBG Group”, with which they have developed other construction projects such as “Drymades Village, known as Santorini"(2021),"Village Square" (2023), or even "Park Houses "Mjull-Bathore".
Farka – From public park to residential park
Farka Lake is located about 10 km from the center of Tirana and for the last 10 years has been promoted as the city's "second park". But it has only had 1.1 hectares public space, according to the Parks and Recreation Agency.
The largest part of the park's surface area is the lake, i.e. the water part, about 75 hectares.
For comparison, the Artificial Lake Park extends over about 157 hectares of land and has a lake with an area of about 45 hectares.
This lack of land area has led to Farka being promoted primarily for water recreation, such as fishing, rowing, and swimming.
But in the last 10 years, the municipality's investments were limited to promenades, trees, bike paths, and not park expansion.
Meanwhile, construction took over the surrounding hills, completely fading the green propaganda of tree planting.
Google satellite images show that in 2015, only 3% of the land around the lake was urbanized; today, construction occupies about 20% of the hills and the Albora's Lake plan aims to increase this to 35%.
In a perimeter of about 195 hectares along the lake, 10 years ago there were about 6 hectares of land plots with buildings. So, 97% of the Farka hills were green.
Today, satellite images show a mess of construction. About 39 hectares of construction plots have been added to the hills, occupying 20% of the same area as before.
If we take for granted that the plot required by the "Albora's Lake" project is about 30 hectares, the percentage of urbanized hills goes to 35%, forever extinguishing the vision of a public park.
The promised Farka Park was in fact private property, which was neither purchased nor alienated by the Tirana municipality to serve the public.
The municipality's investments in promenades, decorations, and tree planting around the lake seem today like a well-thought-out plan to serve private complexes and not the citizens of Tirana.
Meanwhile, it seems unclear how this large residential influx in an area considered "recreational" will be able to be fed with infrastructure and services.
Erblin Vukaj has completed his studies in “Communication Sciences” and further mastered (MSc) in “European and International Journalism” at the University of Tirana. Since 2012, Vukaj has been working as a professional journalist, gaining experience in online media, print media, radio and television. He has covered various issues such as current affairs, health, environment and sports. In parallel, he has led and been involved in several research projects on the communist past in Albania.
