The Downtown One commercial and residential tower in the centre of the capital city of Tirana is a visible expression of Albania’s progress. With a height of 144 meters above the ground, the project will be the tallest building in Albania country by its estimated completion by 2022. Spread over 37 storeys, the 78,000 m² mixed-use area is designed for commercial and business facilities, events, offices and apartments. The building also comprises five underground parking floors.

It’s not just the dimensions of the new build designed by the Dutch architecture and urban planning firm MVRDV for the Kastrati Group that set the standards, as the façade is equally impressive. The level surface is interrupted by multiple projections. These cantilevers form a map of Albania, with apartments and offices representing certain parts of the country. 

The large glass surfaces of the façade are framed by basalt stone elements. The façade construction engineer Altin Mico from 3V Mico, Albania, opted for the FZP II undercut anchors by the fischer Group of Companies to fasten the natural stone panels. The fischer façade systems business unit supplied the project with around 85,000 units of the Zykon panel anchors FZP II 13x26 M8/SO/17 Carbon. “One of the reasons we were commissioned with the project was because our undercut anchor combines concealed fastenings with the ability to carry the heavy loads that were determined through pull-out tests”, says Steven-Henrik Maier, Head of Market Management fischer façade systems, before adding: “we also convinced our client with our comprehensive service and technical support in cooperation with our Austrian subsidiary”. Representatives from the investor and façade construction specialists were invited to fischer’s headquarters in Waldachtal, for instance. “This allowed the planners and contractors to experience the pull-out tests in person and to be trained on the professional installation of the undercut anchors”, Steven-Henrik Maier states. 

Albania had struggled with the consequences of the former socialist system for many years, but in recent years before the Coronavirus pandemic, the country had made good progress due to economic and political reforms. The European Union therefore gave the go-ahead for accession negotiations with the EU in March 2020. The Downtown One complex embodies this new era and also stands for sustainability. It is the first building in Albania to have been awarded a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Pre-certification by the US Green Building Council. The project achieved the gold level, the second-highest level of the certification system.

Equipped with fischer undercut anchors, the rear-ventilated façade fittingly fulfils the high requirements in terms of sustainability and climate control while combining these requirements with an aesthetic look, protection and lasting safety.

Further information on the project can also be found at: www.dt1.al