Danish architecture studio BIG has revealed groundbreaking plans for a sprawling interfaith complex set on a hillside near Tirana, Albania. The Faith Park will feature a unique cluster of pavilions celebrating different world religions, marking an innovative approach to spiritual architecture and interfaith dialogue.
The ambitious project will be constructed in the hills of Petrela, encompassing 200,000 square meters of public gardens interspersed with nine distinct pavilions. Each pavilion will be dedicated to a different faith tradition, alongside a rammed-earth Museum of Remembrance that will serve as the complex's centerpiece. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026.
BIG's design conceptualizes the park's layout as an "evolutionary tree of faith," with spiritually-focused spaces branching out organically from three main pathways. This innovative approach reflects the studio's vision of connecting different religious traditions through architectural harmony and natural landscape integration.
"In the time of the Anthropocene it seems that we must return to our common roots – to begin worshipping our natural environment, our ecosystem, our shared planet that we call home," said Bjarke Ingels, BIG's founder. "In that sense, it feels almost inevitable that the Park of Faith – organized like a liveable, inhabitable evolutionary tree of faith mapped onto the natural topography of a mountain – is a project the world is longing for."
At the park's entrance, the Museum of Remembrance will be housed across nine interconnected rammed-earth volumes arranged around a central planted courtyard. Architectural renderings reveal a series of staggered volumes featuring large facade openings that create open-air walkways and provide visitors with lush outward views from the interior spaces.
From the museum, a central pathway lined with carefully planned gardens and olive groves will branch into three distinct meandering walkways. These sinuous paths, flanked with native greenery, will guide visitors toward the nine pavilions strategically positioned across the mountainous site, creating seamless circulation between the various spiritual spaces.
Each pavilion will be dedicated to a specific spiritual tradition and will be enclosed by gardens that draw inspiration from their respective geographic and spiritual origins. This thoughtful approach extends to the pavilions' construction materials, with Jerusalem limestone designated for the Jewish pavilion, Italian marble for Christianity, and white sandstone mosaic for Islam. The Dharmic and East Asian faith pavilions will incorporate granite, onyx, marble, and river-polished stone.
Architectural renderings show cube-shaped pavilion volumes featuring decorative and tactile designs that incorporate symbolic elements from various world religions. The design aims to create spaces that are both architecturally striking and spiritually meaningful, respecting the unique traditions of each faith while promoting interfaith understanding and dialogue.
The Faith Park represents BIG's commitment to creating architecture that addresses contemporary global challenges while fostering community connection and spiritual reflection. The project joins the studio's portfolio of innovative designs, including a recently designed mass-timber conference center in Normandy and their completed "first built project in Los Angeles" at Claremont McKenna College.
