In a symbolic act of moving forward from a repressive past, Albania is transforming a museum, once dedicated to its long-time Communist dictator Enver Hoxha, into a computer training centre for its youth. This change signifies the country’s effort to shed the remnants of its isolated and authoritarian history and to foster a brighter, more connected future.
Built in the 1980s to honor Hoxha, who led Albania with a iron fist under a harsh Stalinist regime for four decades, the museum originally showcased his personal possessions and large photographs. Although his rule brought about improvements in literacy and health care, it also enforced a regimented poverty on the majority of Albanians. The transformation of the museum, redesigned by Dutch architect Winy Maas, is part of the government’s initiative to strengthen ties with the European Union by equipping young Albanians with skills in computer technology and coding.
The pyramid-shaped building, designed by a team that included Hoxha’s daughter Pranvera, was completed in 1988, three years after Hoxha’s death and two years before the fall of the reclusive Communist government. Leon Cika, one of the original curators of the museum, sensed that its completion marked “the last shovel for a monument to communism” in Albania as Soviet-dominated regimes across Eastern Europe began to crumble.
Following the chaotic collapse of Communism in the southern Balkan nation, the pyramid-like flanks of the building, preserved during the renovation, were utilized by children as a slide due to the lack of playgrounds. The revamped exterior now features staircases that allow both local and foreign visitors to ascend for a panoramic view of the capital, Tirana, which has transformed into a modern, vibrant city.
The interior of the building, designed in a cubistic style, features stacked containers that will function as classrooms, extending several floors up to the original glass cupola.
For years, Albanians were divided on how to repurpose the building in a manner consistent with their evolving democracy. Some, still resentful of Hoxha’s oppressive legacy, demanded its demolition, while others argued for its preservation as an architectural landmark.
Over the years, the building served various purposes, including as a nightclub, a television station, and as a temporary base for NATO officials during the 1999 intervention to end the war in neighbouring Kosovo.
This transformation symbolizes a new chapter for Albania, as it continues to distance itself from a dark past and invests in a future that empowers its youth with the skills necessary to thrive in a globalized world.
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