An Organic Space Wrapped by Curved Concrete Walls
The veterinary hospital is a medical facility where architecture, spatial psychology, and a sensitivity toward living beings converge. Wrapped by sculptural curved concrete walls that embrace planted terraces, the 2,243m² building is organized across three levels accommodating a veterinary clinic and a pet hotel. More than a purely functional healthcare facility, the project begins with a question: how can space shape emotion? According to the architects, the linear forms translated into walls and openings become a language that expresses human emotion and intention. This project extends that philosophy into built form.
The building’s most distinctive feature is its organically curved concrete walls. These flowing structures integrate with the outdoor terraces, enclosing landscaped areas where cats and dogs can roam freely. According to the architects, the form was intended to alleviate feelings of confinement while providing psychological comfort for animals undergoing treatment. Although the exterior presents a smooth and fluid appearance, the plan follows a relatively clear structural logic. Treatment rooms and office spaces are arranged in a linear L-shaped configuration along the rear, while the influence of the curved geometry gradually transforms the surrounding spaces on the upper levels into softly protruding forms. This contrast creates a unique tension between the materiality of brutalist concrete and the softness of organic curves.
Beginning with geometric forms, the project gradually evolves into a dynamic network of curves shaped by principles of spatial psychology and human behavior, unfolding as a living environment. In this process, the building is perceived not as a static structure but as a sculptural presence flowing through the landscape like a wave. Communal spaces, dining areas, and corridors on the upper floors connect directly to the outdoor terraces, which are conceived as semi-open therapeutic environments shaded by sculptural walls and furnished with concrete planters. These spaces provide psychological comfort and a connection to nature for both patients and their caretakers. Here, the terraces and gardens function as therapeutic spaces, creating a restorative environment through light, air, and the presence of nature. Spaces designed for cats and dogs follow the same principles applied to human healthcare environments—stability, subtle separation, and sensitive forms of coexistence.
The project also carries significance within the broader transformation of Albania’s architectural landscape. It reflects a shift away from rigid, structure-centered architecture toward spaces oriented around nature, people, and living beings, while suggesting a new direction for public architecture as the city becomes increasingly connected to the world. The Tirana veterinary hospital is not merely a medical facility, but an experimental environment positioned at the intersection of function and emotion, nature and architecture. Through the coexistence of brutalist concrete materiality and organic curves, the building stands as a statement about how architecture for living beings can be designed.
Project: VET HOSPITAL / Location: Tirana, Albania / Architect: Davide Macullo Architects (Davide Macullo) / Project Architect: Aileen Forbes-Munnelly / Design Collaborators: Andrea Carlotta Conti, Samantha Capoferri, Lorenza Tallarini / Architect of record: Orion Construction, S&L Studio / Landscape architect: Davide Macullo Architects / Interior design: Davide Macullo Architects / Renders: Davide Macullo Architects / General Contractor: Z. Pandi Carapuli, EUROCOL / Investors: Vet Hospital Tirana, Emre Aslan, Martin Llazani, Erko Prifti, Marvin Brahja, EUROCOL / Use: Pet Hospital / Site area: 2,046m² / Building area (footprint): 712m² / Total floor area: 2,243m² / Basement floor area: 777m² / Above ground floor area: 1,466m² / Total Volume: 8,890m³ / Basement volume: 5,550m³ / Above ground volume: 3,340m³ / Landscape area: 535m² / Bldg. scale: one story below ground, three stories above ground / Structure: reinforced concrete / Exterior finishing: facades_reinforced concrete / Interior finishing: walls_concrete, plasterboard; ceilings_concrete, plasterboard; floors_antibacterial resin, PVC / Material: main structure – reinforced concrete / Cost: 2,700,000 EUR / Completion: 2024.12. / Photograph: ©Leonit Ibrahimi (courtesy of the architect)
