The design of the new port in Durres was presented during a meeting of the Prime Minister Edi Rama at his office with a team of Dutch architects who created the design concept. “Welcome. I could barely wait to meet you. I have been told a lot of great things especially about your work, so I am looking forward to meeting you and coming across the outcome of your work,” Rama said.

The new seaport project in the city of Durres is designed to become a gateway to the Western Balkans and is being implemented under joint work with Albanian partners. The port’s old infrastructure is a dilapidated one and it causes pollution and environmental chaos, but it is being transformed under the design that envisages model architecture.

Dutch designers presented via a short film their vision for the new Durres port, a major infrastructure work with an impact on the whole region.

“The port itself is indeed a harbour, but it should also be seen as an element or the chain of a whole logistics project that would allow creation of a gateway to the Western Balkans,” one of the Dutch architects said.

PM Rama noted that the project’s goal was to transform the old seaport infrastructure into model port and one of the pillars for Albania 2030 vision. 

“This is precisely the goal. That’s why we are seeking to transform it, because the current port is chaotic and causes pollution to the environment. The port also lacked extension capacities and it offered nothing, whereas the new port has potential and huge capacities that would turn Albania into the gateway to the Western Balkans,” PM Rama said, adding that extension of what he called “the dry port is a masterpiece.”

The design team said that the project is really promising. “It is quite interesting because we started with this design only and we became very enthusiastic in the process, considering profitability and opportunities the project offers. So there is a growing enthusiasm within the team,” the head of the design team said.