The morphosis of the Albanian socialist cityscape. A reaction to buildings with high-energy consumption

For more than 45 years, Albania went through the toughest experience of communism among the Eastern Bloc countries. Ideology strongly influenced the urban character of cities, which underwent an intensive development during this period. Although the city had to represent the power of the system, architecture, considering the poor economy, offered merely the basics. In the housing sector, industrialization and standardization resulted in the production of modest shelters with very low or no concerns about building quality, energy consumption, and comfort. After the fall of the regime, the buildings and the city failed to meet the increasing demand for energy, comfort, and better living standards. Under these circumstances, people took control of architecture and started to adapt their buildings by leaving remarkable traces that definitely altered the Albanian socialist cityscape. The article discusses the options for regaining the image of the city while pointing out the need for resilient and efficient models in architectural design and city planning.