The Veil in Dhërmi: Architecture That Yields to the Landscape

Summary

• Bofill Taller de Arquitectura’s The Veil in Dhërmi integrates 366 apartments and 77 villas into Albania’s coastal forests
• Locally sourced stone, ceramic facades and preserved vegetation minimize environmental impact
• Communal spaces curve around ancient trees, emphasizing harmony with nature

Bofill Taller de Arquitectura has unveiled its design for The Veil, a sophisticated residential resort located in the mountainous coastal region of Dhërmi, Albania. Currently under construction, the project is situated within a sensitive environment characterized by dense deciduous forests and steep natural topography. To minimize environmental disturbance, the architectural intervention is conceptualized as a “light or invisible veil” laid gently over the land. Rather than relying on heavy excavation, the structures are positioned to follow the natural contours and settle onto existing platforms, ensuring that the forest’s character is preserved.

The resort spans two plots and features a diverse program of 366 apartments and 77 villas distributed across sixteen different typologies. A foundational network of paths and stairs, constructed from locally sourced stone, connects the site by stepping in harmony with the mountain’s rise and fall. The design team utilized samples from the surrounding landscape to develop a specialized palette of four paving stone colors, ensuring material continuity with the natural setting. The buildings themselves are unified by a façade treatment of concrete and glazed ceramic tiles, designed to absorb and reflect the surrounding light and shadow.

At the center of the development sits a principal communal building that houses a social club, restaurant, gym and multiple pools. This structure features a central courtyard that breaks from the project’s typical rectilinear language to curve around a group of ancient trees, making the landscape the primary focus. The overall architectural diagram emphasizes horizontal platforms and vertical growth, allowing the buildings to rise among the trees to capture expansive views of the Adriatic Sea. Through the use of generous windows, terraces and open balconies, the resort maintains a permeable feeling that blends the interior living spaces with the rugged Albanian coastline.