Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura to create red twisted skyscraper in Tirana

Spanish studio Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura has revealed designs for the 190-metre-tall Barcelona Tower skyscraper in Tirana, Albania.

Designed to serve as a "modern landmark" overlooking the city's Skanderbeg Square, the mixed-use skyscraper will be a twisting concrete structure that tapers towards its top.

If built, red pigmented concrete will used for the structure, which will be fronted by a gridded facade with regular square openings.

According to Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura the use of coloured concrete is intended to both "highlight the structural lines with a bold, contrasting tone against the sky" and "enhance the twisting motion of the building's design".

"The facades are pared back, designed to complement rather than compete with the surrounding historical architecture," the studio told Dezeen.

"They maintain a commanding presence despite their simplicity, climbing 190-meters above the ground."

The tower's twisting design will be composed of a series of floor plates that rotate in equal increments around a central concrete core.

"At Barcelona Tower, the floor plates rotate around a central core a total of 45-degrees from bottom to top, while also tapering to form an obelisk," the studio said.

Its twist was designed to create an aerodynamic shape that is less susceptible to high winds and more energy-efficient.

The tower's double-height ground floor will contain shops, with the above floors containing offices and apartments.

Renders of the proposal reveal external courtyards finished in red tiles, which will extend to the glazed ground floor lobby.

Inside, similarly red-hued surfaces will be complemented by exposed concrete and greenery.

Also in Tirana, the studio is set to complete a silo-shaped skyscraper informed by the studio's La Fábrica headquarters in Barcelona.

Other projects set to define the city's skyline include a trio of concrete skyscrapers resembling "three totemic figures" and a kinked skyscraper designed to evoke "the grace of ballet".

Dezeen recently wrote a feature investigating Tirana's transition into a hotspot for offbeat architecture by prominent foreign studios.

The renders are courtesy of Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura.

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