The winner of the international competition for the “Faith Park” in Tirana has been announced—a visionary project designed to transform interfaith harmony into a tangible experience through nature. At the closing ceremony of the competition, the international architecture studio BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group was declared the winner among 12 finalists from different countries, including the United Kingdom, Portugal, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Mexico, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy.

Faith Park will be built around the idea of coexistence and interfaith dialogue, drawing inspiration from the symbolic elements shared across the major religions—expressed through trees, fruits, and flowers mentioned in sacred scriptures. The project will serve as a space for reflection, tranquillity, and cultural interaction, offering the city of Tirana a new spiritual and aesthetic dimension.

Present at the announcement of the winner, Prime Minister Edi Rama underlined the importance of such projects in promoting coexistence and civic spirit: “I wish we had the opportunity to create more parks like this.” Faith Park stands as yet another testament to Albania’s commitment to fostering interfaith harmony—a value that the country has preserved for centuries.

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Prime Minister Edi Rama:

I would like to sincerely thank all those who took part in this competition. So far, it has been the most complex, the most exciting, and the most challenging. At the same time, it was a competition that reflected the dedication of all participants and the emotional way in which each of them presented their vision.

It was also a time from which we all learned a great deal—and I say this with humility—because many things needed to be discussed, and just as many that needed to be learned, as we followed each project and weighed the strengths and weaknesses of every proposal. In the end, we found ourselves hesitating, not because the jury was divided, but because within ourselves we were divided. I even sought the opinions of some of you who were neither part of the competition nor the jury, and I still found dilemmas. But one project had to win.

It is not that we are unconvinced—we are very much convinced—but at the same time, I wish we could create more parks of this kind. What you have all brought and shared with us is truly extraordinary. I sincerely hope that we will celebrate together the opening of this park, which will be something we can all be very proud of.

Thank you, Bjarke, thank you, Giulia, thank you to each of you, and thank you to all the teams who participated. My deepest gratitude to everyone. This has been an inspiring energy, an extraordinary moment of architecture, landscape creation, and rethinking our relationship with nature.

It is one of those rare moments when you realise that all the misery politics brings into our lives is worth enduring, because there are things like this that lift the spirit and make us feel blessed.

Thank you all.