Skanderbeg Square

In 1917, the Austrians built a public square where Skanderbeg Square now is. After Tirana became the capital in 1920 and population grew, city plans were made. During the Albanian monarchy (1928- 1939), it was a roundabout with a fountain.

The Old Bazaar was where the  Palace of Culture is today, and the City Hall stood where the National Historical Museum is now. A Stalin statue was erected where the Skanderbeg Monument now stands.

During communism, a statue of  Enver Hoxha was added between the museum and the bank, but was removed after the 1991 revolution. From 2017, the square has been renovated as part of the Balkans' largest pedestrian zone, winning the European Prize for Urban Public Space in 2018. The project also got praise at the Chicago Architecture Biennial and second prize from the EU in 2017.