We are pleased to share this interview with Daniele Fanciullacci, CEO of ARS Progetti, on the concept behind the new Embassy of Italy in Tirana—the project awarded at the 2026 OICE Awards in the Sustainable Buildings and Infrastructure Projects category.

The project rethinks the conventional image of an embassy as a protected building set behind a perimeter wall. Instead, architecture becomes a means of expressing the longstanding relationship between Italy and Albania: the building faces directly onto the street, gives part of its site back to the public realm and creates a place to pause within the city.

Two distinct volumes accommodate the Embassy and consular functions on one side, and the Italian Trade Agency and Italian Cultural Institute on the other. A shared roof and terrace, a transparent threshold and a courtyard planted with olive trees bring them together. References to Italian modernism and the use of travertine further connect the building to its institutional and cultural identity.

At a time when separation too often prevails, the project conveys a different message: diplomacy and architecture can create openness, dialogue and connection.

As Daniele notes in the interview, “embassies should exist precisely to open doors.”
Watch the full interview here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X_sLT_RE48
 

Our thanks to OICE and the jury for this important recognition.