National Theater of Albania

The National Theatre of Albania (Teatri Kombetar) is the country's leading stage, based in Tirana. The institution was founded as a state ensemble in 1945 after liberation, inheriting the 1939 Italian cultural house Savoja, a wood-and-steel structure from the Italian occupation. In May 2020 this historic building was demolished overnight despite international protests and artist occupations, to clear the site for a new theatre. The ensemble has performed at alternative venues since; a new building designed by the Danish firm BIG is under construction.