Albanian actors clash with police over theatre demolition

Albanian actors clash with police over theatre demolition

The old National Theatre in Tirana that the authorities plan to demolish.

By bne IntelliNews July 24, 2019

Albanian actors clashed with the police in front of the National Theatre in Tirana on July 24 over the planned demolition of the building, media reported.

The project to build a new theatre building in the capital Tirana has drawn harsh criticism from artists as well as from the opposition parties. The old National Theatre in Tirana was built in 1939 and previously served as a cinema.

The situation escalated when demonstrators started to throw firecrackers, Albanian Daily News reported.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said that the new theatre will be build despite the resistance of some actors.

Rama said that a minority of actors and politicians cannot take the country hostage.

On the other hand, President Ilir Meta said that he will send a request to the Constitutional Court, which is expected to become operational in September, to revise the constitutionality of the decision on the demolition of the old theatre.

In 2018, Albanian authorities selected Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) to design the new National Theatre building in Tirana. The new 9,300 square metre theatre will have four stages, and is conceived as two buildings connected by the main auditorium: one for the audience and one for the performers.

The theatre is adjacent to Tirana's main Skanderbeg Square, the National Opera and the National Art Gallery.

Read in IntelliNews Pro

Get IntelliNews Pro

Related Articles

EIF signs guarantee agreements with 11 banks in Western Balkans, unlocking €750mn for small businesses

The European Investment Fund (EIF), part of the EIB Group, said on April 15 that it has signed guarantee agreements with 11 banks and financial intermediaries in the Western Balkans. These ... more

EIB surpasses investment milestone in the Western Balkans by investing €1.2bn in 2023

EIB Global, the financial arm of the European Investment Bank (EIB) for activities beyond the EU, set a new record by investing €1.2bn in the Western Balkans in 2023, the EIB said on February 9. ... ... more

Albanian banks’ profits reach ALL28bn in 2023

Albanian banks reported profits of ALL28.5bn (€271.7bn) in 2023, according to data from the Albanian Association of Banks. All banks in the country reported a profit for the year. The most ... more

Dismiss

Chat with usLiveChat