Presidential Palace, Presidential residence in Tirana, Albania.
The Presidential Palace is a three-story rationalist building with a pale yellow facade and a flat roof, set among trees near the Grand Park of Tirana. A projecting stone portico with a short flight of steps leads to tall wooden double doors, above which sits a stone relief panel. The facade has a taller upper row of windows, a middle level of smaller square windows, and a lower row, all with pale frames and dark panes.
The building was completed in 1941 under architect Gherardo Bosio's design and represents a period of modernization in Albania's governmental architecture. Its construction marked an important moment in the country's architectural development.
The palace is popularly called the Palace of Brigades, a name from the Communist era that Albanian media still use. Its bas-reliefs were draped over in the 1970s during the cultural revolution but were not destroyed. In October 2016 Leka II, pretender to the throne, held his wedding reception inside the palace.
The palace is the working residence of the president of Albania, so the building itself is not open to visitors; in January 2010 the Municipality of Tirana proposed opening parts of it to the public. The grounds sit beside the Grand Park of Tirana, surrounded by trees for nearly 200 metres, and include decorated gardens and a tennis court.
The palace's bas-reliefs were covered with drapes in the 1970s during the cultural revolution but were not destroyed. The building served as a royal palace only once, for King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy during his sole visit to Albania in May 1941.
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