Award-winning Israeli architecture firm Kimmel Eshkolot today officially announces its being commissioned as the lead architect for the forthcoming Albania Jewish Museum, in Vlorë, a prestigious museum symbolising the history of the Jewish community of Albania. Kimmel Eshkolot was the only Israeli architecture firm to be invited to propose for the museum, which will officially open in 2025.

The museum embodies the future of sustainability in architecture and design by preserving large parts of a historical building, including a portion of its pitched roof, paying homage to the past, present and future of the Albanian Jewish community. In keeping with its sustainable approach to architecture, Kimmel Eshkolot will make the most use of the existing structure instead of a new-build, utilising the thermal qualities of the original thick stone walls. Most of the new stone construction will be with a local stone from Albania, apart from an outdoor area which will be cladded in Jerusalem stone from Israel.  

Nested within the old city of Vlorë, the third largest city in Albania which sprawls on the Bay of Vlorë and is surrounded by the foothills of the Ceraunian Mountains along the Adriatic coast, the Albania Jewish Museum will exist as a cultural hub embedded within the context of a historical building around which it is designed. The museum will trace the history of the Albanian Jewish community from the early Roman era up until today, while emphasising the unique story of Jews in Albania during World War II. The museum will activate its urban environment and contribute to the city’s civic development through the creation of several unique spaces, ranging from flexible exhibition rooms to public areas. 

The innovative museum is based around three key elements, including a meticulously preserved historic house with a contemporary addition; a connecting pavilion; and an open-air room. Each of the structures are carefully positioned to enable pedestrian routes from Perlat Rexhepi Street and Ceno Sharra Street. With the new outdoor spaces, the museum will rejuvenate the square and extend itself to the city of Vlorë.

The open-air room is carved into the square, creating new seating areas that will serve both visitors of the museum and the general public. The volume of the entrance pavilion is cut to create an appealing alleyway on the east side towards the historical building, revealing a portion of the museum content which is exhibited on an open-faced stone door. The open-air room is an inviting public space offering power outlets for phones, Wi-Fi and a drinking fountain in addition to seating and shading from a newly planted olive tree. The material finish of the entrance pavilion will be made out of unique Jerusalem limestone from Israel.  

In between the preserved building is a connecting pavilion and open-air room, entitled the “Besa Space.”  The intimate and inclusive place is an expression of Besa, the Albanian code of honour, anchored on values of solidarity, ethical commitment to others and hospitality. The Besa Space embodies key values of the museum based upon the engagement of city residents as well as international visitors. This space will also be paved in a different stone than that of the existing square to draw an aesthetic connection to the museum itself.

There are three exterior additions to the historical building, including an entrance pavilion, a small but iconic structure with a unique interior space that is cladded in stone with small slits on the roof as skylights; additional volume on top of the historical house that is designed as a transparent and neutral volume to pay respect to the existing building; and an underground addition designed to house the space for temporary exhibitions and have a minimal impact on the square above. The underground excavation will be limited to the space below the square and the courtyard of the historical building. The temporary exhibition space is the only part of the museum with extended floor to ceiling height (approximately 4.5 m² or 14 ft²).

Etan Kimmel, lead architect and firm principal, says:

“We are honoured to be entrusted by the city of Vlorë and Albanian Jewish community to spearhead the design of what will be an important institution not only for Albanians, but for the world. The museum will tell the story of the Albanian’s saving of the Jews during WWII whilst creating a physical experience elevated by our meticulous approach to emotion-evoking architecture and design.”

Material related to the period of World War II in Albania will be exhibited in the north-west room of the ground floor and serve as the climax of the permanent exhibition. A deconstructed star of David will be perceived by two intersecting triangles: one projected from the ceiling and one as a physical triangular exhibition wall configuration. The temporary exhibitions will be accessed through the pavilion that also communicates the temporary show through a LED screen on its always open stone door. From this exhibition space, visitors can either exit through the pavilion or go up to access the historical building through the bridge.  

The new volume on top of the historical building is designed with a lightweight roof to avoid applying extensive weight and in order to use a simple structural system. Excavation efforts to the basement level is limited solely to underneath the courtyard and the square, thus avoiding extensive costs. The design achieves an extremely efficient net to gross floor area ratio with minimal service areas.

The exhibition spaces are designed to create large and flexible areas where many layouts can be tested with time. Only the north-west room on the ground floor has a permanent installation, with a small triangle protruding to the room above. The rooms of the permanent exhibition are able to be dimmed for video projections and screens, as they only have the original openings of the historical building. The temporary exhibition space has a technical ceiling with acoustic panels and tracks for spotlights and mounting. Skylights in this space are concentrated on the north side, so its south side can be more dimly lit.