DHËRMI — In the rapidly transforming coastal landscape of Dhërmi, Albania, finding a harmonious balance between commercial vitality and environmental preservation has long been a pressing challenge for urban planners and architects alike. As tourism surges along the Mediterranean and Ionian littorals, traditional models of seasonal commerce often result in chaotic, temporary, and ecologically disruptive structures.
Enter The Kiosk, a visionary project designed by the international architecture and urbanism practice CITYFÖRSTER. Captured through the lens of photographer Ani Muraku, this compact, adaptable commercial structure offers a compelling counter-narrative. Rather than yielding to the chaotic sprawl typically associated with fast-developing resort towns, The Kiosk introduces a sophisticated, sustainable blueprint for seasonal infrastructure that respects its natural context while catering to the dynamic demands of modern tourism.
Main Facts
- Project Name: The Kiosk
- Architectural Firm: CITYFÖRSTER
- Location: Dhërmi, Albania
- Photographer: Ani Muraku
- Typology: Seasonal Commercial Infrastructure / Retail Pavilion
- Design Focus: Compact spatial efficiency, material adaptability, sustainability, and contextual integration within a rapidly evolving coastal zone.
- Publication Date: September 15, 2026
The Kiosk is engineered to challenge the conventional lifespan and environmental footprint of beachside commerce. Historically, seasonal kiosks in Mediterranean tourist hubs are either permanent concrete structures that sit vacant and ruinous for half the year, or flimsy, highly polluting temporary setups built from plastics and low-grade metals. CITYFÖRSTER’s design bridges this gap by offering a robust yet flexible volumetric solution. It functions as a self-contained commercial hub capable of adapting to shifting seasonal demands without leaving a permanent scar on the fragile coastal ecosystem of Dhërmi.
Chronology: The Evolution of Coastal Commercial Design
The realization of The Kiosk is part of a broader, ongoing timeline of architectural intervention and environmental reckoning in the Balkans, particularly along the Albanian Riviera.
Phase 1: The Era of Informal Sprawl (Early 2000s – 2010s)
Following the opening of Albania’s borders and the subsequent boom in Mediterranean tourism, coastal towns like Dhërmi experienced an unprecedented influx of visitors. Lacking structured municipal frameworks for seasonal commerce, the coastline was quickly populated by improvised kiosks, makeshift beach bars, and temporary stalls. While these structures successfully catered to seasonal economic needs, they frequently compromised public access to the shoreline, degraded visual landscapes, and generated significant waste.
Phase 2: Municipal Masterplanning and Regulatory Tightening (2015 – 2022)
Recognizing the environmental and aesthetic degradation of its prized coastline, the Albanian government, alongside local municipalities, began implementing stricter masterplans. Temporary permits became harder to secure, and authorities pushed for standardized, cleaner commercial interventions. However, many early municipal alternatives erred on the side of sterile, corporate standardization, stripping the coastline of its local character and failing to provide genuine operational flexibility for small vendors.
Phase 3: CITYFÖRSTER’s Intervention and The Kiosk Concept (2023 – 2026)
Commissioned to address the specific vulnerabilities of Dhërmi’s coastline, CITYFÖRSTER began conceptualizing a typology that could satisfy municipal regulatory standards while offering high architectural merit. The design phase focused heavily on modularity, local material sourcing, and low-impact foundation systems. By late 2025, fabrication and assembly took place, culminating in the official unveiling and photographic documentation by Ani Muraku in September 2026. The Kiosk represents the maturation of coastal design thinking—moving away from heavy-handed permanence toward intelligent, lightweight adaptability.
Supporting Data & Architectural Anatomy
To understand the impact of The Kiosk, one must examine its material composition, spatial layout, and environmental strategies. CITYFÖRSTER approached the project through the lens of cyclical design, ensuring that every square meter serves a dual purpose.
Spatial Efficiency and Volumetry
- Footprint: Minimized to preserve maximum permeable surface area on the coast.
- Layout: Features an optimized interior workspace flanked by secure, fold-out display systems. When closed, the structure presents a clean, vandal-resistant timber facade; when open, it expands its spatial presence outward to engage passersby.
- Adaptability: The interior is designed to transition seamlessly between different seasonal uses—operating as an artisanal cafe during the peak summer months, an information booth in the shoulder seasons, or securing safely during harsh winter storms.
Materiality and Sustainability
- Timber Construction: Utilizing sustainably harvested, treated wood that ages gracefully under harsh marine conditions (salt spray, intense UV radiation, and high humidity). The choice of timber allows the structure to visually weather and harmonize with the natural tones of the Dhërmi shoreline over time.
- Low-Impact Foundations: Avoiding heavy concrete slabs where possible, The Kiosk utilizes reversible foundation typologies that minimize soil disturbance. This ensures that if the structure ever needs to be relocated or decommissioned, the natural topography can easily regenerate.
- Energy and Water Management: Integrated passive cooling systems, operable louvers for natural cross-ventilation, and localized solar integration ensure that the pavilion operates with minimal reliance on municipal power grids.
Official Responses and Professional Insights
The architectural community has responded with widespread enthusiasm to CITYFÖRSTER’s latest intervention. While municipal leaders in Dhërmi have praised the project for aligning with regional beautification initiatives, urban theorists are looking at The Kiosk as a test case for broader Mediterranean coastal management.
In design notes provided by CITYFÖRSTER, the studio emphasized the philosophical core of the project:
"The Kiosk proposes a compact and adaptable model for seasonal commercial infrastructure in Dhermi’s rapidly changing coastal context. We wanted to reject the false dichotomy between permanent ugliness and temporary waste. Architecture in sensitive natural zones must learn to touch the earth lightly while remaining robust enough to withstand the realities of commercial life."
Architectural critics have noted that Dhërmi serves as an accelerated microcosm of global tourism pressures. Coastal destinations worldwide are grappling with how to accommodate millions of transient visitors without destroying the very landscapes that draw them there. By offering a refined architectural product that is both economically viable and ecologically responsible, CITYFÖRSTER has provided a tangible benchmark for future developments in the region.
Broader Implications for Coastal Urbanism
The completion of The Kiosk carries significant implications not only for the Albanian Riviera, but for seasonal economies across Europe and beyond.
- Redefining "Temporary" Architecture: For decades, temporary architecture has been synonymous with low quality and poor safety standards. The Kiosk demonstrates that temporary or seasonal structures can—and should—be executed with the same material rigor, spatial intelligence, and aesthetic sensitivity as permanent buildings.
- Combating Visual Pollution in Resort Towns: Coastal gentrification often brings a wave of uncoordinated commercial signage and eclectic, clashing kiosks. A standardized yet adaptable framework like CITYFÖRSTER’s model allows municipal authorities to maintain a cohesive visual identity along the waterfront without stifling small business creativity.
- Circular Economy in Tourism Infrastructure: As climate change and resource scarcity force the construction industry to rethink its material pipelines, structures like The Kiosk—built with renewable timber, reversible foundations, and designed for disassembly—point the way toward a truly circular future for tourism-dependent economies.
Conclusion
As Dhërmi continues to evolve into one of the Mediterranean’s premier boutique destinations, the tension between development and preservation will only intensify. Projects like CITYFÖRSTER’s The Kiosk prove that architectural restraint and thoughtful design can successfully mediate this friction. By marrying local contextual sensitivity with cutting-edge sustainable practices, The Kiosk does more than sell goods to beachgoers—it sells a vision of a more responsible, harmonious, and beautifully structured coastal future.
