ALCA participated in Zak World of Façades, held on 29 April 2026 at Maritim Plaza in Tirana. The event marked the 215th edition of the globally recognized conference series and the first edition ever hosted in Albania, bringing together architects, developers, façade engineers, contractors, and solution providers from across the international and local industry.
Organised by Zak Exhibitions & Conferences and held to date in 44 countries with over 65,000 delegates worldwide, the conference focuses on façade design and engineering, with a particular emphasis on sustainable innovation and the technical challenges shaping the building envelope. The event brought speakers from internationally recognised practices including Arup, MVRDV, Bjarke Ingels Group, Archea Associati, Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura, Oppenheim Architecture, OODA, alongside leading voices from the Albanian architectural and engineering community.
In the closing session of the conference, Carlo Zaka, Chief Operating Officer at ALCA, and Elvi Xhaxho, Technical Director, joined the panel Cultural Identity in Façade Design: Sculpting Skanderbeg’s Legacy into Tirana’s Urban Fabric. The discussion focused on Tirana’s Rock, a mixed-use development designed by MVRDV whose silhouette traces the profile of Albania’s national hero, into the city skyline. The panel brought together the project team behind one of Tirana’s most ambitious recent developments, with contributions from Stavros Gargaretas (Senior Associate, MVRDV), Raniel Sulaj (Project Manager, VIND), and Enea Bedo (Project Architect, ANA). The conversation examined how façade design can move beyond performance and become a vehicle for cultural narrative — addressing the materiality, technical detailing, and construction innovation required to translate a symbolic architectural form into a buildable, high-performance envelope.
Participation in Zak World of Façades Albania reinforces ALCA’s role within the broader dialogue between architecture, engineering, and the built environment, both in the Albanian market and internationally. The first edition of the conference in Tirana represents a significant moment for the local façade industry — one that brings global expertise into closer contact with the projects, practices, and ambitions defining the next generation of Albanian architecture.
Read more about the event here: facades.al
